MY STORY

My name is Jada Mathewson, and I am an artist from East London. Storytelling—through performance, animation, and every art I touch—has been my passion since I was a child. After losing my mum, Toni (1979–2021), I realised life is too short to hold back, and I am determined to finally live my dream of becoming a professional performer.

In January 2022, I auditioned for the one-year professional acting course at The Bridge Theatre Training Company in Camden and was overjoyed to receive a scholarship, reducing fees from £8,550 to £5,700 with an £850 deposit. Despite working full-time at minimum wage and applying for every scholarship I could, I was unable to raise enough to attend that year. My place was deferred to September 2024, and later again to September 2025, giving me another chance to step into the path I’ve always longed for.

✨ The biggest news yet: thanks to your generosity and my own efforts, I have now fully paid for my first term! The training company has officially confirmed my place, and I will begin my dream journey on Monday, 22nd September 2025. This is the moment I have been working toward my entire life—and it wouldn’t have been possible without you.

Here’s how the first term was funded:

• GoFundMe donations: £650

• National Youth Arts Trust: £250

• Claudia Jones Women’s Charity: £500

• My own savings: the rest

Looking ahead, I still need to raise £3,000 for Terms 2 and 3 (£2,350 + £650, thanks to a scholarship covering a third of the total cost).

Every donation, no matter how small, brings me closer to completing my training and stepping fully into the career I’ve dreamed of all my life.

I am endlessly grateful to everyone who has supported me—through donations, sharing my story, or encouraging words.

Special thanks to TikTok star Scotty Wartooth, whose feature brought my story to millions and helped so much.

You can also see examples of my acting and singing on my TikTok.

Thank you for believing in me, for walking alongside me, and for helping make this dream a thrilling reality.

I’ll be sharing updates as I raise the remaining funds for Terms 2 and 3, so you can celebrate each step with me as I continue this incredible journey toward completing my training!

With love and gratitude,

Jada

Thank You to My Incredible Supporters

I want to give a heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported my previous GoFundMe. Your generosity made it possible for me to fully fund my first term and officially secure my place at The Bridge Theatre Training Company, beginning 22nd September 2025! This is a dream come true, and it wouldn’t have been possible without you.

Special thanks to all the Anonymous donors—your support, ranging from £5 to £50, was truly incredible and made a huge difference in helping me reach this milestone.

Every donation, share, and message of encouragement has brought me closer to stepping into this next chapter of my life. I am beyond grateful, and I will carry your support with me as I begin my training!

FIRST LAUNCH – 13/06/2023

My name is Jada Mathewson. I live and create in East London, and for as long as I can remember, my heart has belonged to storytelling—through performance, through animation, through every art I touch. This dream is my life, and I am ready to give everything to make it a reality.

Since I was a toddler, I’ve felt a hunger to perform to act, to create, to bring stories to life. But after losing my mum, Toni (27 Dec 1979 – 03 Dec 2021), I realised something deeply important: life is too short to keep putting dreams aside. Her passing lit a fire in me to finally step onto the path I’ve always wanted to follow.

I’m confident in my potential to become a professional performer—but life’s hardships have made it difficult for me to fund my dream on my own. Financial struggles, limited educational opportunities, and family responsibilities shaped by trauma have meant I’ve had to fight harder than most to even imagine pursuing this path.

In early 2022, I auditioned for the one-year professional acting course at The Bridge Theatre Company Training School in Camden. I was overjoyed to be offered a scholarship, a 1/3 reduction in fees, bringing the cost from £8,550 to £5,700, with an £850 deposit. The course leaders were impressed by my performances, and I finally felt I was on the right path.

Despite working full-time at minimum wage and applying for every scholarship I could find, I was unable to raise the funds in time and could not attend that year. My offer was deferred to September 2024, giving me another chance—but the challenge remains. Supporting myself entirely, with no family able to help, I am asking for your support to cover the remaining costs.

The total I need is £6,000. Even £850 would secure my deposit, and any additional contributions would help me continue my training and step closer to my dream. Every donation, share, and word of encouragement brings me closer to the stage where I belong.

You can also see examples of my acting and singing on my TikTok

@jayjay_catherine

Thank you sincerely for taking the time to hear my story, support my dream, and help me finally take this step toward my future.

With gratitude,

Jada

UPDATE – 30/09/2023

I want to thank every single person who has shared my story and supported my dream. The donations I’ve received so far have come from incredibly generous people — from close friends and family to those I’ve never even met. I’m truly grateful to each and every one of you.

A special thank you goes to TikTok star Scotty Wartooth (aka “TikTok Jesus”) for featuring my GoFundMe poster on his page, which exposed my story to millions of his followers and brought in a wave of donations. This was such an unexpected gift and honestly the highlight of my year!

Although I wasn’t able to raise enough to begin my training this year (2023), I’m thankful that my place has once again been deferred — this time to September 2024. That gives me another year to keep fundraising here and continue saving on my own.

I am more determined than ever to make this dream a reality, and I will keep working hard so that I can finally begin theatre school by this date.

With gratitude,

Jada

UPDATE – 05/03/2024

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for your incredible support on this journey. Although I wasn’t able to meet my target in time to begin my course in 2024, I have some wonderful news: the trustees at The Bridge Theatre Training Company have kindly extended my place to September 2025 — three years after my audition!

This means I still have the chance to pursue my dream, and I haven’t given up. I’ve already contributed over £1,200 toward securing my place, and I’m continuing to work hard to raise the remaining funds.

Your support — through donations, sharing my story, or sending encouragement — means the world to me. If you’re able, please consider helping me get closer to making this dream a reality. Every contribution truly counts.

Thank you for believing in me.

With gratitude,

Jada

UPDATE – 15/09/2025

I have some exciting news to share: thanks to your generosity and my own fundraising efforts, I have now paid £2,250, which fully covers my first term at The Bridge Theatre Training Company. My place has officially been secured, and I will be beginning my training on Monday, 22nd September 2025.

Here’s how the first term was funded:

• GoFundMe donations: £650

• National Youth Arts Trust: £250

• Claudia Jones Women’s Charity: £500

• My own savings: the rest

I am so deeply grateful to everyone who has supported me so far — whether through donations, sharing my story, or encouraging words. None of this would have been possible without you.

Looking ahead, I now need to raise the remaining fees to continue into terms two and three:

• £2,350 for Term 2

• £650 for Term 3 (reduced thanks to a scholarship that generously covered a third of the total cost)

This means I have £3,000 left to raise in total.

Every single contribution, no matter the size, will help keep me on this journey. Thank you for believing in me and walking alongside me as I finally step into the dream I’ve carried all my life.

With love and gratitude,

Jada