For the majority of the financial period (29 April 2024 to March 2025), the company remained dormant while the directors sought sustainable funding and developed the company's long-term strategy. In April 2025, we launched our community acting program with a dual focus: professional creative training and personal empowerment. We identified that the skills required for acting (such as active listening, emotional regulation, and presence) have profound benefits for mental health and everyday life. The community benefited through: Democratising Professional Expertise: Quality training led by professionals with current Film/TV experience is often inaccessible to those outside of full-time drama school. We removed this barrier by offering sessions led by active industry professionals, open to all ages and experience levels. Removing Barriers for Working Adults: Adults with career and family commitments often find professional training cost-prohibitive or time-incompatible. By providing affordable (£15) evening sessions with an "Open Door" policy, we enabled adults to pursue high-level creative development without the need for intimidating auditions or prior professional credits. Inclusion Across Generations: Our classes fostered a multi-generational creative environment. This allowed older participants to pivot into creative interests later in life, leveraging their lived experience in their performance work, which is often a barrier in traditional, youth-centric training environments. Confidence Building and Self-Esteem: Many participants joined with no intention of pursuing a professional acting career. Instead, they utilised the workshops to overcome social anxiety, improve public speaking, and build a sense of self-worth that carries over into their personal and professional lives. Building a Creative Network: Beyond technical skills, these workshops provided a hub for local people to connect, reducing social isolation and building a collaborative community of aspiring creatives in the Liverpool area.

During our April 2024 workshops, we conducted informal group discussions and one-on-one sessions with our participants. We asked them what specifically brought them to Progress Inc CIC and what barriers they had faced in the past. Action the company has taken in response to feedback: Our consultation revealed two distinct but equally important needs within the community: Professional Aspirations: Stakeholders with a serious interest in the industry expressed frustration with the "gatekeeping" of professional training, such as high audition fees and the requirement for prior experience. Action taken: We committed to an "Open Door" policy, ensuring that high-level technical training remains accessible to anyone, regardless of their professional background or financial status. Personal Development & Wellbeing: Other stakeholders identified that they were attending primarily for a "confidence boost" and mental health support. They valued the transferable skills, like public speaking and emotional resilience, over a career in film/TV. Action taken: We recognise that our stakeholders have diverse motivations. While everyone receives the same level of training and support, we consciously reinforce how these professional techniques apply to "real-world" situations outside of acting. This approach ensures that those seeking a career in the arts receive the rigorous training they need, while those attending for personal growth understand how to apply those same elite skills to their everyday lives and mental well-being. By treating everyone as a professional, we foster an environment of mutual respect and high expectations for all.

No remuneration was received

No transfer of assets other than for full consideration