Anna Devitt, 29, stand-up comedian and social entrepreneur
I EXPERIENCED a pretty tough upbringing in Glasgow, suffered quite serious mental health difficulties as a teenager and was expelled from three schools. My dad was a heroin addict and died when I was 14. I felt that somehow it was my fault, that I should have saved him. And I just didn’t have a way to express my feelings. Although I can look back and see that it wasn’t my fault because I was only a child, even now I’m always trying to prove myself to him.
My mum saved me by throwing me into drama, and that led to stand-up comedy. I felt amazing on stage, accepted. There is nothing like the feeling of getting a round of applause, or when you see the happiness on people’s faces and realise you’ve made that happen. Realising I could make people laugh gave me confidence and I was able to use those feelings to turn my life around.
That really got me thinking about how I could help others. Comedy was my therapy, built up my resilience and enabled me to learn how to laugh at myself. The fact I was able to go on Britain’s Got Talent with singing belly act says it all. I realised that I could help others make the same changes in their lives, and came up with the outline of a qualification in comedy and confidence. I approached the Scottish Qualifications Authority and they liked the sound of it, so I spent the next two years of my life developing an SVQ level 5, which is equivalent to a Higher.
We piloted the course with young offenders at Polmont and it went down brilliantly. It was one of the best experiences of my life and remains the highest level of qualification ever delivered in a Scottish prison.
We’ve since rolled it out to disenfranchised young people in schools in Glasgow, Renfrewshire and beyond, and provide training to adults, too. The course is all about teamwork, body language, vocal skills, how to appear confident even when you don’t feel that way. At the end, the participants create and perform a comedy group piece. We put a lot of emphasis on public speaking and how to get your voice heard, as many young people struggle to express themselves and don’t feel they are being listened to. Comedy is a great way to learn this and to build resilience.
Because of my own background, I can relate to the young people we work with on a one-to-one basis.
All are now on positive pathways, whether that’s further education, training or setting up their own business. We have a 99 per cent success rate – if you come and engage with us, we’ll help turn you around.
I’ve come so far on my own journey, and have had to learn really quickly along the way, especially around running a business. We’re about to embark on a massive expansion and it can be hard to believe how far I've come. I’ve also won a number of awards and get invited to speak at events all over the country.
I also recently graduated from Glasgow Clyde College with an HNC in community education, which is something I never thought I’d achieve.
I recently bumped into the educational psychologist I used to see when I was a teenager and we were talking about how important it is that young people have the chance to be creative and express themselves. And he was very proud of everything I had achieved; that made me feel proud, too.
For more information go to: www.directdevittcomedyconfidence.com
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