History
Rewrite was founded in October 2000 by Emily Hunka and Sian Perez to raise awareness about issues surrounding refuge and asylum and to challenge prejudice and racism, by bringing young people from different backgrounds together on drama and creative writing projects.
Since gaining charity status in 2005 we have focused our activities in South London and have established our core activities and delivered various bespoke projects.
We remain a small, grassroots organisation, but have developed both strategically and structurally over the last 10 years, taking on new projects, staff, board members and working with a large variety of young people from diverse backgrounds.

Aims
To provide a platform for young people to express their ideas and opinions creatively;
To develop the individual potential of each participant;
To include in our work, young people from different cultural, social, international and economic backgrounds;
To break down barriers of prejudice and racism through drama and creative writing;
To provide and nurture a platform for an active demonstration of integration between young people and adults from all backgrounds;
To raise public awareness about issues surrounding refuge and asylum, including wider global issues;
To celebrate cultural diversity.

Funders and patron
Rewrite is currently funded by the Tudor Trust, the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and the Jack Petchey Foundation. We have also received recent grants from STEP (Southwark Theatre in Education Partnership), the Capital Community Foundation, Newcomen Collett Foundation, Wakefield and Tetley Trust, the Co-operative Community Fund and Capital FM's Help a London Child. Our patron is John Constable, Artistic Director of Southwark Mysteries.

Emily Hunka, Co-Founder
Emily founded Rewrite with Sian Perez in 2000. She is now Associate Director (Diversity and Inclusion) for Greenwich & Lewisham Young People's Theatre after being Project Leader on the company's VOICES Project, which worked with newly arrived young refugees and asylum seekers through drama for 10 years. She is also a writer for mainstream and youth theatre.
"Rewrite is important to me because I really believe that connecting with hearts and minds through art, around issues of human rights, works. Drama and creative writing are crucial ways to do this. I am proud Rewrite continues with an excellent team and strong values behind it. Most important of course are the amazing young people who work together to show how little certain differences mean in the light of compassion and understanding that arises from working together. Their voices and their creativity are testimony to the power of empathy."

Sian Perez, Co-Founder
Sian Perez was co-founder of Rewrite in 2000. She currently works as an ESOL Lecturer with 16-19 year olds at Croydon College. She is now Deputy Chair of Rewrite and has been particularly involved in the inspiration and inception of Creative ESOL.
"I feel that both ESOL and drama give people the confidence and tools to build independent lives in a new country and achieve their own goals. Rewrite brings these things together in a unique way and I am so proud of all the hard work that our dedicated staff, tutors and volunteers have put in to make Rewrite what it is today. Having worked with refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants for over seven years, I've seen the amazing difference that something like Rewrite can make to the lives of young people."

Eleanor Cocks, Rewrite Coordinator and React Facilitator
Eleanor is a freelance drama practitioner with an MA in Applied Theatre from Central School of Speech and Drama. She is also a trained and experienced ESOL tutor.
"I love being involved with Rewrite because it is here that I see evidence of the potential for human beings to overcome their differences and connect. Young people involved in our work come from such a diverse range of backgrounds, it is amazing to see the way in which they negotiate difference and work together."