LOCAL PERFORMING ARTS SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR SHORTLISTED FOR BUSINESS AWARDS

The founder of Swindon and Wiltshire’s leading performing arts company for children and young people, Revolution Performing Arts, has been shortlisted for two business awards which recognise both her business acumen and community spirit.

Fi Da Silva Adams, from Swindon, has been shortlisted in two categories in the South-West Business & Community Awards, having built the highly successful Revolution Performing Arts and its sister company, Rapport CIC, both of which have strong social goals. She has been shortlisted in the categories of Female Entrepreneur of the Year and Outstanding Contribution to the Community. 

“It was such a surprise to learn that I’ve been shortlisted for these awards,” said Fi. “I feel very humbled to think my work has been ‘seen’ and recognised in this way. It’s a real honour.”

The South-West Business & Community Awards celebrate the achievements of businesses, charities and inspirational individuals across the region. Categories include Business of the Year, SME of the Year, Female Entrepreneur of the Year and Business Leader of the Year. 

Fi set up Revolution Performing Arts in 2007 as a drama group for toddlers and pre-school age children. It quickly expanded to become a performing arts company for children of all ages and was the first organisation of its kind to bring performing arts after-school clubs to the Swindon area. Today it runs more than 1,140 arts sessions a year for children from a diverse range of socio-economic backgrounds and stages five public shows across its annual calendar. In all more than 400 local children or young people attend sessions every week, with nearly 5,000 children attending the RPA Holiday Activity and Food (HAF)  Programme in Swindon and Wiltshire.

RPA’s sister organisation, Rapport Community Interest Company (CIC), is a not-for-profit organisation specifically aimed at young people aged 11-18. Its mission is to explore all forms of performing arts, including drama, singing and dance as well as ‘behind the scenes’ arts such as design, tech and stage management.Rapport offers free places for young people affected by domestic abuse. 

Having experienced a challenging start in life herself, Fi Da Silva Adams is a keen advocate of the power of the arts to support young people to express themselves in a way that is empowering, and she is now a voice in advocating for children and young people from lower income backgrounds. 

She volunteers every Wednesday as a business mentor with six teenagers from Swindon Academy helping them create their own business through the Youth Trust. 

Fi has also recently taken on a strategic role for the HAF programme’s steering group within Swindon Council. The programme is funded through Swindon Council by the Department of Education and aims to ensure that 1000s of local children who usually receive free school meals have access to nutritious, hot meals over the school holidays while also enjoying free access to fun, creative activities. Fi has been increasingly involved in the scheme over the last three years with RPA being a key supplier of activity days in the town and beyond. 

“It’s an ongoing joy to be increasingly involved in progress towards removing the barriers that families face in accessing quality support and provision,” said Fi. “Equality of opportunity is key and I really believe the arts can be transformative for young people. I hope that being shortlisted for these awards will help bring attention to the services we provide and how important it is for the community to work together to make life better for everyone.

The South-West Business & Community Awards ceremony takes place on Friday 2nd February at the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel in Swindon. Judges include Jackie Chappell, the first woman CEO of British Rail; and Paul Waite, Managing Director of one of the country’s leading accountancy firms, Aspen Waite, based in the South-West. 

More information about Revolution Performing Arts can be found here https://revolutionpa.co.uk/

Rapport Community Interest Company (CIC) can be found here: https://revolutionpa.co.uk/rpa-rapport-cic/