Community Champion: Grayson Hart
JACKSON, Tenn. — It’s time to recognize a Community Champion, an honor given to people making a positive impact in the community in partnership with Leaders Credit Union.
We introduce you to one young man who has created a space for kids to showcase their talents and be their authentic selves.
“Dream the biggest dream possible and just to throw it all out there and see what sticks, see what doesn’t, and be okay to fail, but also be okay to learn as you’re doing it,” said Grayson Hart.
Grayson Hart is the founder and president of Lights Up! Theatre Company.
A community theatre group that caters to youth performers and nurtures talent.
“I grew up in a really tight knit children’s theater group and I kind of noticed that there was a lot of kids programs that were focusing more on high schoolers and then transitioning into adults,” said Hart.
Lights up! Theatre Company allows young people to not only showcase their talents but also take on leadership positions.
“We now have an entire team that’s on our young theater creator circle that gets together every month to plan out everything that’s happening in the next year. And that’s from seventh grade through 12th grade,” said Hart.
Starting the theatre company when he was only a teen, Hart is an example to other kids that your dreams and goals can come to fruition at any age.
“There’s so many people that are my age that have these ideas that want to not just be a performer, but also build the sets or build costumes or can work on the tech side of it. And so that gave a voice to the high schoolers to be able to work on the production while also leading younger kids in the production,” said Hart.
Hart says Lights Up! Theatre Company provides a space for kids to truly be themselves without fear of being judged.
“I’ve seen a couple that are just, well, hovering onto the wall and then, towards the end of it, see them fully accepting who they are, fully jumping into the character, to the story, and taking full kind of command of the stage and being okay being seen and heard,” said Hart.
And the performances are getting bigger and bigger, with more people on the stage, and more people filling the seats in the audience.
“We started small with like 20 people and it just grew and grew. Like by the third show we were doing, we had 120 people show up for the auditions. So it was just kind of like, okay, so there is a need for it. I do know what I’m doing. It’s all going to work out and it’s going to be fine and its just grown and grown from that,” said Hart.
Light’s Up! Theatre Company has an upcoming performance of Wizard Of Oz on July 25 through July 27.
And a performance of Into The Woods, August 16 and 17.
If you know someone doing good in their community, you can nominate them for the Community Champion award by clicking here.
