21/08/2024
15 years ago Lydia Martin started the Saar Music Centre in Bahrain, an independent Performing Arts & Music School which in it's first year of operation attracted over 1000 students who came to learn an instrument, sing, play in an orchestra and act in musical theatre productions through it's sister organisation MASK Theatre Company (Music And Stage for Kids). Sadly, due to civil unrest the Arts Centre had to close in 2011. However, this sparked new projects and Lydia moved forward with MASK and also played a leading role setting up a new Performing Arts Academy as part of the British School of Bahrain. MASK continued to thrive putting on annual productions including "Peter Pan", "West Side Story", "Annie", "Bugsy Malone" and "Cats" to critical acclaim. In 2015 Inspire was born in the form of a new arts centre which aimed to provide a platform for social and cultural integration through the performing and creative arts. This initiative was called "Empower Bahrain Youth" and received funding through the US State Department which gave the opportunity for unparelleled success, bringing together young people whose paths would have been unlikely to cross without such a venture. Fast forward to today, Lydia has returned to the UK and joined forces with Jason Carter to create Inspire the Nations, a Community Interest Company which aims to bring hope and healing to a divided nation.
