Feedback from participants of the workshops
We have taken into account feedback given through questionnaires and consultation with members of society from different economic backgrounds, different ethnicities and differing cultures who have taken part in our trial events this feedback has enabled us to create a unique performance platform that offers life changing benefits to the participants.
Sharon- Caribbean heritage and is a single working mum:
“I personally really enjoyed every aspect to do with the serendipity Fashion show and can think of no negatives.
• Just wanted to say that Rob and Kerry are both very professional and welcoming.
• Rob and Kerry ensured that we the models were completely happy with song choices, venues for the rehearsals, times of rehearsals, routines and that we were comfortable with choice of clothing to model. We all said how great we felt in the clothing as Kerry caters for different sizes, ages and shapes. I found the show a great morale boost and would not hesitate to do another maybe travelling out of Doncaster.
• Good choice of models, ethnicity and ages.
• I love to recycle clothing and it is essential to do so for the environment especially in today’s economic climate. All Kerry’s clothing is in clean well-presented fashion at affordable prices.
• Maybe these shows could be rolled out to different services/work places/schools/social groups? Would the council be able to help/guide?
• Also, maybe asking disabled people if they would be interested in modelling clothing or to take part in workshops and invite family and friend? It’s great for building confidence and self-esteem.
• Consider doing an outdoor event in the Summer and selling the clothing there and then. Summer Faye’s maybe?”
Jayne- 44-year-old single mum, working full time at a large Sixth Form College as the Trust Examinations Manager:
“I was very first involved with The Show People Academy in 1992 when I was 5ft 10, size 8 and 18 years old and 'looked like a stereotypical model'. I am still 5ft 10, no longer a size 8 and much older than 18!
I was involved in the workshops way back in 1992 and used to attend Robert's dance classes (I am not a dancer!), but the classes certainly helped my coordination, fitness, confidence and choreography for the shows I was involved in. During the workshops back then, I met some lovely people, learnt lots about make-up, fashion, deportment, choreography and they were valuable 'life' lessons which helped my confidence which I was able to apply to everyday life situations. I was probably involved with The Show People Academy for about 3 years whilst I was at college.
Life then took over and even though I have always been in touch with Robert, I worked full time, got married, had two amazing children (now 18 and 15), put weight on, got divorced, now I'm a 44-year-old single mum, working full time at a large Sixth Form College as the Trust Examinations Manager and loving life.
Robert asked me to be involved with the fashion show to promote workshops for The Show People Academy and Serendipity - clothing with a story and I was a little apprehensive at first, as I am much older, weigh much more and even though I am much more confident in other ways, I wasn't sure about modelling again in front of others.
However, I thought - why not? Gone are the days when people think that models should be young and stick thin and promote an unhealthy 'waif' look. Let's face it, most of the pictures on the front of magazines are airbrushed anyway! We are real women with lumps and bumps like most, we are never satisfied 100% with how we look, and I was pretty sure I wouldn't be the only one feeling this way. So, I rocked up on the first day, happy to see Robert again and to meet his gorgeous fiancée Kerry. The other bonus was to see Jo, who I had not seen since our Show People classes in 1992. We had both recently followed Slimming World, lost 2 stone in weight, we were both learning sign language along with our beautiful daughters and had so much to talk about! I met some lovely new ladies during the rehearsals, all of which are now Facebook friends and I hope to keep in touch with. You can never have too many friends! I love meeting new people and it was a great opportunity for this! I was surprised at how quickly it all came back to me and we all worked really well together. Attending the rehearsals was a great social experience and seeing each scene come together was satisfying. It was great to be working with Robert again - he certainly hadn't lost it either! 😆
It was lovely working with Kerry and hearing more about Serendipity - clothing with a story. The whole idea of recycling clothes to provide affordable garments for everyone is a great eco-friendly idea. She had a whole array of outfits for every occasion and it was a pleasure to be a part of it and to be able to present her clothing to others in the form of a fashion show. My only disappointment with the fashion show, was that we only did ONE show. After so much work and commitment from Robert, Kerry and all of the wonderful ladies involved, it would have been good to perform two shows on the day and perhaps used the same choreography, perhaps a variation to the music and clothes, so that we could continue performing different shows but with the same choreography. Our confidence certainly grew as the show day approached, but it proved really difficult for us all to be available at the same time for rehearsals due to work and family commitments and the busy lives we all lead. It was a great adrenaline rush during the show but was over far too quickly. During the rehearsals and the show itself, we had such a laugh and I was so happy to be a part of it.
Would I take part again? Yes. I loved it, I loved meeting everyone, I loved being involved and it sparked a different confidence in me that had been dormant for a while. I am not sure that I would travel to other cities, (it would depend where and when) as my career is very demanding and stressful and my family have to come first, it is not easy for me to spend weekends or evenings away from home or take time off work in term time.
Would I recommend the workshops to others? Yes certainly. I think they are great to boost your self-confidence. I think it would also help some vulnerable people to realise that not everyone is young or stick thin; nobody is perfect, everyone has flaws, and this is normal real life. We are all different shapes and sizes with lumps and bumps not necessary in the places where we want them, but we are REAL women, and everyone is beautiful in different ways.”
Sineade- attended the event as an observer after hearing about the workshops and spoke to us asking if she could attend the next workshops. Sineade suffers from mental health issues and feels the workshops will help her:
“Hello, I’m a newbie to this program. What i would like to see amongst representatives like yourself and colleagues is a general awareness of Mental Health. I suffer with Depression, Anxiety and PTSD. These ailments combined make day to day life a struggle and can cause pain and suffering when i least expect it. So, channelling myself into 'model behaviour' could possibly be more difficult than i might anticipate. I’m currently studying an Art Foundation course at Doncaster College before i go to University there. I’m hoping to be a part of the Young Advisors Team in Doncaster in a few weeks after my interview. “
Leah- 17-year-old who suffers from anxiety:
“I Started the Show People Academy Catwalk workshops with very little confidence. Working with Rob has helped build that up and is continuing to do so. I really enjoyed my experience and hope to do it again soon. The atmosphere during the show was amazing. Although I was very nervous at the start and throughout, when it finished I just wanted to do it all again.
Working alongside Kerry was a pleasure. The Show People team and Kerry were a huge help when my anxiety was bad and they helped to make me smile again. When it came to sorting clothes for the show, Kerry did not make me wear anything I did not feel comfortable in, which made the whole experience more enjoyable than it already was.
I thank Rob and Kerry so much and hope to be working with them again in the future.”
Serendipity – Clothing With a Story is a small, Doncaster based second hand clothing shop and agency, operating mainly on line and at events:
“I love clothes and fashion, but I hate the negative effect that the fashion industry continues to have, both on our environment and to our self-esteem.
Serendipity was my small step towards providing an antidote to fast fashion – giving extended and second lives to perfectly good garments makes perfect sense ecologically – less waste to landfill, less new production to reduce pollution. But there’s another aspect too; apart from being a budget friendly option (which is no small consideration), by shopping second hand, you can find clothes that actually suit you. Rather than being “forced” into the latest, “must have” styles, you can take an alternative route to clothes that make you feel and look good on your own terms, and not those of the fashion houses.
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The fashion show was a great demonstration of this – with a wide range of body shapes, ages and life styles to consider, I was able to dress each model well and appropriately, making each one feel great and look fantastic. I was able to find outfits to fit all of the occasions that were the theme of the show and some of the models, who had never shopped second hand, bought their outfits (and others) following the event.
I loved seeing how our group of models grew throughout the workshops; they increased in confidence and skills, supported each other and formed a solid team, which has developed into friendships. Overall, it was fun! Taking a diverse group, many of whom hadn’t been involved in fashion in any way, building them into a team and watching them achieve such a fantastic result was possibly the most positive outcome for the whole process and for the individuals, and I would really like to be involved in future events to share the benefits with even wider groups.