When I was at a tough inner-city school, drama gave me a

In the heartfelt words of Wes Streeting, we hear the voice of one who has walked through hardship and found light through the fellowship of art: “When I was at a tough inner-city school, drama gave me a friendship group. It's been so core to who I am and given me such confidence later in life.” These are not the words of vanity or nostalgia, but the confession of a man who has tasted struggle and discovered, in friendship and expression, the roots of his strength. Streeting’s reflection reminds us that even in the roughest soil, the seeds of purpose may take root — and that art, when shared among companions, has the power to transform the lonely heart into a courageous one.

He speaks of drama, but not merely as performance; rather, as a form of revelation — a sacred act through which one learns to inhabit not only the lives of others, but one’s own truest self. In the ancient world, the Greeks knew this power well. Through the theatre of Athens, citizens were invited to see humanity in all its glory and frailty. There, upon the stage, the mask became a mirror, and through art, they learned empathy, courage, and truth. So too did Streeting, in the halls of his “tough inner-city school,” find in drama a sanctuary — a place where the harshness of the world could be transformed into creation, and isolation could give birth to community.

For the child who feels unseen, the stage is a place of rebirth. It offers what the world withholds: recognition. Streeting’s words reveal this universal need — to be part of something larger, to be valued not for status or wealth, but for presence and participation. In the bonds formed through shared creation, he found what every soul yearns for: belonging. That belonging did not merely comfort him in youth; it shaped him, becoming, as he says, “core” to who he is. For those who have stood on a stage, whether before a crowd or before their peers, know the subtle miracle it brings: the trembling becomes voice, the fear becomes confidence, and strangers become friends.

We may recall the story of Nelson Mandela, who during his imprisonment on Robben Island organized plays and recitations with his fellow inmates. Though stripped of freedom, they used performance to sustain their humanity. Through drama, they found laughter amid sorrow, and through shared imagination, they built a world that the prison walls could not contain. Mandela later said that those small moments of unity gave him strength to endure the long years of darkness. Thus, from the school stage of Streeting to the prison cell of Mandela, we see the same truth: that art and fellowship are twin lights guiding the human spirit through adversity.

Streeting’s reflection also speaks to the power of confidence born not from dominance, but from connection. His friendship group, formed in the crucible of creativity, gave him the courage to speak, to lead, and to dream. Such confidence is not arrogance; it is the steady flame of one who has learned that voice and vulnerability can coexist. In this, his story teaches that community is not only a refuge but a forge — it tempers the spirit, refines character, and prepares one to face the world with resilience.

And so, we find within his words a lesson as ancient as civilization itself: that greatness is not born in isolation, but in the embrace of others. Just as the Spartans trained side by side in loyalty and courage, so too do artists, students, and dreamers strengthen one another through shared endeavor. To find your circle of friendship, your place of belonging, is to find your anchor in a restless world. It is in that company — not wealth, nor status, nor ease — that the foundation of a happy and confident life is built.

Let this teaching then be carried in your heart: seek the places and people that awaken your spirit. If you are lost, find something to create; if you are afraid, find someone to join. For through collaboration, fear becomes courage, and loneliness becomes kinship. And when you find that bond — that sacred brotherhood or sisterhood born of shared purpose — cherish it, for it may shape your destiny as it shaped Wes Streeting’s. Remember always that the soul grows strongest not alone, but together, and that the path to confidence begins with the courage to belong.