In the heart of every individual lies a story waiting to be told, a narrative that defines their unique journey through life. At Peer Productions, we believe in amplifying the voices of those who need to be heard and especially those of young learning-disabled actors and creatives. Through the generous support of Arts Council England, our project, "The Story of Us," has embarked on a mission to empower our Peer Employment Pathway actors to share their narratives with the world.

Our journey has been a profound learning curve, filled with challenges and triumphs as we navigate the delicate balance of empowering these young artists whilst maintaining their mental wellbeing.

We’re excited to announce that, to coincide with our new tour, our Artistic Director Nina Lemon’s play Masking has been published by expert theatre publishers Salamander Street,

If you’re a drama teacher on the lookout for a compelling play that resonates with young performers and audiences alike, you’ve landed in the right place.

Great news! We’ve been awarded a grant of £11,462 from The National Lottery Community Fund.

As the curtain falls on 2023, we're thrilled to share the incredible journey we've had at Peer, a trailblazing youth arts charity nestled in the heart of Woking, Surrey. If this is your first encounter with us, welcome to the vibrant world of Peer – where we are on a mission to transform young lives through the magic of theatre.

Here at Peer we know that self-tape auditions can be stressful. We want to make sure that you have all the information you need, not just for audition for us but also guidance on how to approach drama school auditions.

Big news! We’re changing how we manage applications for the Peer Actor Development Programme. This is so that we can get to know more young actors, widening the talent pool available, and helping more young people to take their first steps in their creative careers.

For most of us who work in this field saying an actor training programme is LGBTQIA+ friendly seems so obvious that it shouldn’t need to be said. Arts company welcomes queer young people is hardly headline news! We, as staff and students at Peer discussed whether we even wanted to post about this. Would we look too ‘try hard’ or like virtual signalling. But, having thought about it, if only one young person felt safer applying for a Peer Programme knowing that who they are will be respected and celebrated, then we can stomach the ick factor.

Our Artistic Director explains why our focus specifically on young people is essential to the ongoing success and sustainability of the charity.

Our Artistic Director Nina Lemon received the Drama Inspiration Awards at the Music and Drama Education Awards.

New Peer documentary!

Here at Peer, we are currently in the final stages of rehearsing my latest play Masking. It reaches its first audience in ten days time and yesterday, on the same day that the cast ran ‘books down’ for the first time, I decided to undertake quite a radical rewrite.

Welcome Dr. Hannah Newman and Sophie Maher.

When a young person comes to train with Peer they receive individual bespoke support, training and masterclasses. They also have the opportunity to share their skills more broadly in the community performing plays and delivering workshops for children and young people. During their time with Peer, they become part of thriving, working theatre company gaining a unique insight into how a theatre company functions. They are the life blood of the organisation without whom a great deal of the impact we have an our community would not be possible.

This week on our blog, our PAD participant Helen talks us through her experiences and shares advice to young actors for dealing with rejection and finding opportunities that fit you as a professional and a performer.

In her role as Arts Assistant, Naomi Langford helps with prop-making, assistant directing, Generation Girls facilitation, understudying, and proofreading - amongst other things! As part of our blog this week, she talks us through a (not-quite-so typical) day at Peer Productions and shares all the weird and wonderful things that happen behind the scenes.

Auditioning can be very scary - especially when you don’t know how long the process is! For our blog this week, our Administrator Alice talks about the audition process for Peer’s Actor Development Programme (PAD), and lays out exactly what you can expect if you apply.

Peer’s Creative Associate, Nick Monfard, talks us through his process of filming and editing season two of Peer’s innovative web series, 50 Days: Alone Together.

Happy Valentine’s Day! This V-day, we wanted to take a minute to discuss the continuing importance of sex ed, and why it remains such a crucial (if cringe-y) topic for both schools and young people.