Shannon receives her grant from Foundation Chairman, Peter McCormick OBE
Shannon Rewcroft, aged 22, of Scalby Road, knew she wanted to act by the time she was 11 and has now gained a place on a year-long course at the Drama Studio in London where she is studying classical acting, TV, film, radio and song and dance.
The grant from the Yorkshire Young Achievers Foundation will pay for materials she needs for the course, such as scripts, an audio recorder, photography and even a copy of the complete works of Shakespeare.
She said: “It has really made things so much easier. We have already had to pay for professional photography for our head shots, which we send to casting directors, and it costs nearly £100 to sign up to become a professional actor.”
Shannon, who attended Scalby School, has worked since she was 13 to save money towards her ambition and has been fundraising with bake sales and concert evenings.
She has appeared in pantomimes, cabarets and summer season productions in Scarborough and has been part of a singing group offering entertainment for hotels and nursing homes. She has also assisted with teaching younger students in drama and creative learning, both at school and while at university.
After achieving three A grade A-levels at Scarborough Sixth Form College, she took a degree in Performance at Northumbria University. She graduated with First Class Honours in July and received the Johanna Harris Memorial Prize for outstanding performance and receiving the highest degree mark in the department.