Bridging The Gap
Bridging the Gap was founded by Jane Martin in 2024, because she had such happy memories and enduring friendships from years in a young adult theatre group. There is a real need to make sure the next generation of amateur theatre makers remain engaged and upskilled – we need their energy and enthusiasm.
At Bridging the Gap, youngsters aged 16+ get the opportunity to take ownership of every aspect of their annual show. Along the way they master, not only the creative and technical sides of theatre, but also skills transferable to the world of work - teamwork, perseverance and attention to detail. If that’s not enough, their social skills and confidence grow and we all have loads of fun and laugh…we laugh a lot.
In the group’s first year, guest tutors taught circus skills, singing, dancing, physical theatre and stage combat. So I wrote a jukebox musical - Welcome to Little Toplea Bottom – to showcase those skills and include all members of the group.
2025’s show - Rest in Cheese – was a musical comedy written by two Bridging the Gap members - Adam Carter and Fawn Saxon – Fawn also directed the production, with fellow members Charlie Boardman as Musical Director and Rosie Harkins as Stage Manager. The cast all contributed to the making of props and costumes and marketing the show.
'Storytime' in 2026 showcased the groups' talent and featured some of the most iconic musical numbers from The West End and Broadway!
During summer 2026, Manchester filmmaker Essence Aikman is teaming up with Bridging the Gap to prove that you don’t need massive budgets or expensive kit to make movie magic! Using the historic Tameside Hippodrome as their creative inspiration, our young adults will work in small teams to learn the entire filmmaking process. From those very first spark-of-an-idea brainstorms right through to post-production, they'll be doing it all. It all leads to public screenings this coming September! We cannot wait to see the incredible stories they tell, and we'll be sharing details of the premiere screening very soon. Watch this space!
Bridging the Gap meets at Guide Bridge Theatre on most Sundays at 5pm, if you are interested in getting involved email BTG@gbtheatre.co.uk
Screen to Screen: Filmmaking Made Accessible