The London Cabaret Club, patron of The King’s Trust and one of the capital’s leading immersive entertainment venues, has announced that in March 2026 it will launch a three-year talent programme to support young people from disadvantaged communities to secure job opportunities in the entertainment industry.
Shaped and led by The London Cabaret Club’s founders, Evelina Girling and Doni Fierro, and with TV star and King’s Trust Ambassador Tasha Ghouri mentoring participants. The programme will open to young people for sign-up in early January, offering hands-on performance training.
The announcement follows new research1 of 1,000 parents of children aged 8–16, commissioned by The London Cabaret Club, which reveals that financial and access barriers are preventing many young people from participating in arts and culture, leaving them excluded and limiting future career opportunities.
High costs for clubs such as drama and music mean 40% of parents say they are priced out, and those who do spend on average £570 per year in extracurricular clubs. This leaves 44% of parents feeling guilty, as 46% admit their children had a strong interest in after school clubs or activities, such as theatre and music, which they later had to stop sending them to. While 38% have had to say no entirely to an opportunity to send their child to one of these classes or clubs, even though they were excited about it.
It also emerged that when it comes to the arts specifically, 64% feel schools focus too heavily on core subjects like maths and English, and not enough on creative ones such as art, drama and music. Meanwhile, 25% of parents believe school and social pressure to pursue academic subjects is even preventing their children from a career in the arts. Parents also said getting their children involved with arts and drama clubs would be easier with lower costs for sessions (32%) or cheaper equipment (31%).
The initiative from The London Cabaret Club aims to break down barriers and promote diversity in the entertainment industry by creating opportunities for young people who cannot afford classes or extracurricular arts training. Born deaf and fitted with a cochlear implant at the age of five, professional dancer Tasha Ghouri will draw on her own experiences of overcoming early career challenges as she guides young people towards success in the industry.
Marking the club’s 10th anniversary and The King’s Trust’s 50th, the programme will take place in the grand art-deco Bloomsbury Ballroom and culminate in the young people featuring in a gala performance of the James Bond-inspired cabaret London Never Sleeps. A judging panel of elite entertainment industry figures will also scout talent, with one performer to be offered a professional contract in the club’s new Italian-themed Spring 2026 production, La Vita è Dolce!
Long-lasting support is central to this mission, with participants receiving continued mentorship from The London Cabaret Club and The King’s Trust beyond the programme. Last year, 73,000 young people benefitted from Trust programmes, with three in four moving into work, education or training.
Tasha Ghouri, TV Star and The King’s Trust Ambassador, said: “Having faced significant challenges accessing a highly competitive and demanding industry, I know how many obstacles young people encounter when trying to break into entertainment. Mounting costs on families shouldn’t mean kids have to miss out on opportunities to pursue their passions. Parents have enough to deal with, without worrying about being able to afford to give their children the access to clubs and activities they know they will enjoy. I’m thrilled to be part of a programme that aims to help address these barriers and create real opportunities for young talent”.
Evelina Girling, CEO, Co-Founder and Creative Producer of The London Cabaret Club, said: “London is a world stage for talent, yet many young people face financial and educational barriers that keep creative careers out of reach. In our tenth anniversary year of providing world-class entertainment, we’re proud to be a patron of The King’s Trust and to support young talent through this programme, offering real
professional opportunities, including a contract in our new 2026 show, the Italian-themed La Vita è Dolce! We hope other influential organisations in the entertainment industry will join us in opening doors for the next generation”.
