Help Penny's dream come true...

Hello, my name is Penny Lane. I'm 14 years old and I live in Fremantle, Western Australia.

I am asking for your help to raise money to go to LA to do an acting course and take part in an industry showcase event for young actors and musicians.

In October last year I started acting as a way to process some of my difficult emotions after losing my Daddy three years ago.

After months of auditions, I am one of a hundred young actors who have been chosen from thousands to attend a professional acting course and showcase in Los Angeles, where I will get to perform in front of casting directors, agents and managers at a week-long event.

The past few years have been really hard for me and this opportunity has given me something to dream about and I hope you can help me get there.

During the 2020 lockdown, when I was eleven, my Dad took his own life.

I miss him every day.

It is not easy to write this.

We were so close and I loved him so much.

I am homeschooled and me and Daddy spent every day together playing music, doing gigs and all sorts of creative things.

My Daddy was amazing! He was the best!

He was a musician and performer and I want to follow in his footsteps and make him proud. I know he always dreamed that we would do these things together one day.

After he died me and my Mum were left to run our family business without him and it has been difficult but we are doing our best. It's a music school that Daddy started when I was 8 months old and he named it after me.

I run the toddler music classes with my Mum and help however I can and I have been saving for my trip to LA for six months now with the money I earn from teaching.

I have had to step up to help Mum keep our school open and keep Daddy's memory alive. We don't have enough money to afford this trip but we hope our friends can help get me there.

I love to express myself through dance, music and acting and I have been playing music since I was four years old. When I act I get to let out my emotions.

I get to bring myself to a character and all of my experiences while getting to be someone else for a while.

I have been working hard and saving up for this since October last year and so far I have saved $4000 and I will keep on saving.

Mum is doing all she can to keep our music school open after losing Daddy and without help from our friends we won't be able to afford to cover the costs of this trip and the events connected to it...

*the cost of the five week acting course

*my placement in the industry showcase event itself

*the cost of Mum's 'Parents in the Industry' course in LA

*associated formal events in LA

*return international airfares for Mum and me

*visas and passports

*travel insurance

*professional photography and videography

*accommodation and transport

*formal event wear

I understand that we may only be able to raise some of what we need to do this but the full amount is written here so you can see what our goal is.

I hope you can help me get to LA, it would mean so much to me to be able to do this.

Thankyou so much for taking the time to read this and for your support.

Penny Lane.

<Photo credit> Di Vidos.

<Photo credit> Deanna Whyte.