the below is an article written on the young people of the year website http://www.youngpeopleoftheyear.org
Telesales Tyler finds his true vocation in dramaAn inspirational young man who has helped youngsters to stay on the right track has been nominated for a Redstone Cambridgeshire Young People of the Year award or ‘YOPEY’.
Twenty-three-year-old Tyler Mortimer, 23, spends hours every week encouraging teenagers to express themselves and gain a better understanding of their problems through acting.
Over 60 teenagers attend St Ives Youth Theatre, a registered charity, performing regular productions that have received accolades from the media and public alike.
Now Tyler has been nominated for the sixth Cambs YOPEY contest which reveals, recognises and rewards young people who are ‘positive role models’ and ‘give to others’.
And that means Tyler is in with a chance of winning a cash prize from a pot of £2000 put up by organisations across Cambridgeshire, including St Neots firm Life Plus and Huntingdon company EACS.
Since the first YOPEY in 2006 the initiative has spread to 12 English counties and the whole of Scotland. More than £130,000 has been won by young people to share with their communities.
Tyler, of Stirling Road, St Ives, was nominated by Jane Percy, a former production manager of St Ives Youth Theatre, who said Tyler’s enthusiasm was infectious and he brought an enormous amount to the voluntary role.
She said: “Tyler’s got a brilliant relationship with the kids and he’s got a great way with them. They all have a laugh but at the same time get the job done.
“He gives a lot of time, and it’s not for himself. He wants to give back. He’s such a character.”
Tyler attended the theatre as a youngster, but had to leave when he was 18, the upper age limit allowed by the company. But three years ago he rejoined on the production side and now assists and directs at every available opportunity. The company holds regular productions at the Corn Exchange and Burgess Hall in St Ives.
Tyler now works in telesales for a St Ives firm, but every spare moment is spent at the theatre or arranging trips for the children.
Jane said Tyler’s approach was very unusual as he involves the teenagers in decision making and he motivates them to think about themselves and their situation.
She said: “He uses his own experience and has a way with them that makes them all stop and listen. He gives them ideas and lets them progress.”
Tyler said he was delighted to receive the nomination but the real pleasure for him was how the children responded to the work they did together. He said it was important for the children to understand the characters they were playing, as it gave them a better understanding of themselves and their surroundings. He therefore felt it was important to make the rehearsals as realistic as possible.
He said: “I’ve been working as a director for three years. We did Lord of the Flies and then Bang Bang You’re Dead – a play written to raise awareness of school violence and its causes. We looked at what it would be like in a British scenario from all different angles.
“We took one of the older members who played Josh, the shooter, and locked him up for a few hours to give him an idea what it feels like.
“It’s great to see the kid’s response and the research they do into the characters. It gives them an insight into what drives a person to violence and why these horrendous things happen.“
Previously Tyler completed a production of Midsummer’s Night Dream, which he found extremely challenging as he struggled with English at school.
“I remember Shakespeare being really scary,” he said. “But the kids loved it and we took a look behind the characters and it brought up all sorts of issues like love triangles and problems with parents.”
As well as the rehearsals and directing Tyler is also involved in the marketing and organization of any productions. The company has been to Scotland and hopes to go to Poland at some point.
Tyler said the most important thing was to give kids confidence so they challenge themselves. He said: “We take on kids who are shy and timid and maybe have a problem speaking in public and make a huge difference to their lives.”
YOPEY founder Tony Gearing said: “Although Tyler has a full-time job he still devotes all his spare time to helping bring along teenagers in an expressive and motivational way. The work he does can be challenging to make it more relevant to growing up.”
YOPEY is endorsed by the leaders of the three main political parties.
Prime Minister David Cameron said of past YOPEY winners: “It struck me that their common trait was their own determination; their desire to succeed; and their resolve to make a difference.”
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg could have been speaking about Tyler when he said: “YOPEY is leading the way in recognising the contribution young people make – to their families, to their communities and to our society as a whole.”
And Opposition leader Ed Miliband said: “YOPEY amplifies the passion and hope young people feel about their future. But more than that, they provide an alternative narrative to the doom and fear too often peddled by some about our next generation.”
Organizations across Cambs are supporting this year’s YOPEY. They include EACS and LifePlus (please mention in Huntingdonshire stories), Peterborough City Council, Waldeck Engineering, Anglia Co-operative (Peterborough), Redstone, Cambridge University Press, CSR, Anglia Ruskin University, ARM and Bidwells (all Cambridge|) and ROI and Hutchinsons (Fenland).
The YOPEY awards will be held at Peterborough Cathedral on Tuesday evening 13 September and for the first time are open to the public and free. To have your name put on the guestlist please contact the address below.
• To nominate inspirational young people for the Cambs YOPEY, which is open to young people aged from 10 to 25, who should live, work or study in Cambridgeshire, logon to www.yopey.org or send an SAE for an entry form to YOPEY, PO Box 236, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 1DP. Young people can nominate themselves. Entries close on July 31.
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