An actor from Catford has described how her “life-changing” first theatre experience inspired her to help children get access to the arts.

Cassie Raine, 43, originally from Bristol, is the campaign manager for the ‘A Theatre Trip for Every Child’ initiative across Lewisham.

The two-year pilot scheme, supported by actors including Jude Law and Emily Watson, has seen 3,000 Year 1 pupils introduced into the world of theatre with tickets to stage shows at the Albany theatre in Deptford.

The scheme was designed to increase arts engagement in the borough – where Trust for London estimates 37 per cent of children are living in poverty.

Speaking to News Shopper, Cassie said: “I remember the first time I went to the theatre. For me, it was a life-changing moment.

“It was ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at the National Theatre. I was about 17 and I’d come all the way down from Bristol on the coach.

“It changed my perception of myself and my world and up until that moment a career or a life in theatre had never occurred to me.”

Cassie described how the experience encouraged her to study Drama at A level, before moving to London to attend the Drama Centre drama school. Since she became an actor, her first theatre experience has stayed with her.

“I think every child should have access to the arts. If you can capture that when someone is five years old, that is going to have a much more significant impact on their future.

“Last year, we had Pinocchio on at the Albany. I watched it three times with different groups of kids. When you see how they respond to it, it’s visceral. It has such a profound impact on their confidence and their experience of themselves.”

The project was given core funding from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Arts Council England and L&Q. However, the cost of tickets has been almost entirely covered by Lewisham residents and businesses.

“It’s been an astonishingly generous contribution, but it also shows how important the arts are to the community of Lewisham,” Cassie said.

She added: “I think there’s an openness, a generosity and a real desire to help young people and see them off with the best start in life.

“You can plant a seed of magic in a child of five years old in the theatre and you don’t know how it’s going to come to fruition.”

As the pilot scheme comes to an end in June 2019, Cassie hopes to continue introducing children to the theatre and make an even bigger impact in the community. She also hopes to see similar schemes replicated up and down the country.

“I think there is also a lot of potential to take this funding model to other locations in London or around the UK because it’s sustainable and it’s something that every community can support,” she said.