AN AWARD-WINNING singer from Otley has produced a new song and video to support UK theatre.

Emeli Mumford was presented with an Otley Achievement Award last year in recognition of her fundraising efforts for Save the Children.

The 18 year old raised more than £2,500 for the charity by writing a song, Dear Santa, that she recorded and performed with a choir of local children.

Now, in a bid to help the country’s entertainment industry as it struggles with the impact of the pandemic, Emeli has rewritten the song with new lyrics to reflect the times - and called it Can You Hear Us?

An accompanying ‘lockdown video’, showing herself and other young singers performing, has also been launched on social media to spread the message.

Explaining her motivation, Emeli said: “I’m very passionate about theatre and the arts and aim to work in the industry in the near future.

“I’m also very passionate about making change, and using the arts to do that.

“At the start of the coronavirus lockdown in the UK the Government advised the public to ‘avoid’ theatres to slow the spread of the virus, but they didn’t completely close them from the start - meaning theatres couldn’t claim on their insurance and have subsequently lost a lot of vital money.

“Because of this, actors have seen a huge drop in their income and theatres are struggling to stay open and keep the industry going which is a very scary prospect for everyone involved.

“I started seeing and hearing about these issues on the news and social media and, being someone who dreams of working in the industry, seeing it struggle and knowing that the theatre that returns after the crisis may not be the same (as before) scares me.

“So I decided to step up and help.”

Referring to where any donations - which can be made by clicking a link in the song’s description - will go, she added: “I aim to raise as much money as possible for out of work actors, struggling theatres and the NHS.

“The money raised will be given to The Theatre Support Fund who are raising vital funds for Acting For Others, The Fleabag Support Fund and the NHS Covid-19 Urgent Appeal.”

To watch the video for Can You Hear Us? and find out more search for Emeli’s Help Raise Money to Save UK Theatre page at https://www.gofundme.com/.

Her appeal is already close to hitting its initial fundraising target of £500.