Josh Berger CBE, founder and chairman of Battersea Entertainment and chair of trustees of The BRIT School, and Stuart Worden OBE, The Brit School's principle, hosted a fundraiser at Ronnie Scott’s jazz club to raise funds for the school.
To showcase the training offered at The BRIT School, Ivor Novello award-winning songwriter and front person of The Feeling, Dan Gillespie Sells, performed two tracks from Twelve Stops And Home: Never Be Lonely and Sewn. He then accompanied Hiba Elchikhe (Titanique) who performed It Means Beautiful from Everybody's Talking About Jamie, the film and musical written by Sells. Elchikhe joined the cast of Titanique in June 2025 playing Rose.
Joining the line- up was spoken word actor and producer Selorm Adonu and two dancers Titus Kasujja and Oliver Stewart, and recent graduate Jos Rivers closed the show with her original song.
The BRIT School is open to young people from all backgrounds providing a springboard into the creative industries, with 40% of students from low-income households and 41% of students from a Global Majority heritage. Nearly 100% of graduates progress on to HE, FE or employment on leaving the school. Alumni include Adele, Raye, Amy Winehouse, Loyle Carner, Lola Young, Olivia Dean and many more.
“All of the artists that come from this school in Selhurst are amazing,” said Worden. “Tonight, they are all over the West End, across our TV and film screens and theatre and festival stages and that's thanks to people who support The BRIT School. Young people have dreams and those dreams won't ever happen for them unless a place is free. Otherwise, we're going to get a very different talent pipeline. The talent pipeline we want is diverse, it's from different backgrounds, and it's from different voices. That makes this country rich and exciting.”
Actor and alum Archie Madekwe (Saltburn, Gran Turismo, Midsommar) added: “I don't know what my life would look like had it not been for The BRIT School. It really did unlock something in me. It gives you this superpower. It truly is the most special place in the world.”
