October 11, 2018

Soraya Gerrits makes her dream come true

We have a special bond with actress and singer Soraya Gerrits. We first spoke with her in 2018 and have been following her career with pride. Soraya graduated in 2021 from the Musical Theatre program at Fontys University of the Arts in Tilburg. The beginning of a wonderful career. In 2024, she will play one of the leading roles in Eiffel, the musical. Previously, she played the lead role of Sophie in the updated version of the musical MAMMA MIA! with our ambassador Brigitte Heitzer as her stage mother, Donna. They also starred together in the musical Diana & Zonen in 2021, and Soraya played the lead role in the musical The Prom.

I didn't want it any other way

From a young age, dancing and singing were Soraya's favorite things. When she was about eight, she spontaneously performed at a birthday party, and her talent and joy were evident. Seeing the musical Mary Poppins did the rest. "I realized I didn't have to choose; I could sing, dance, and act." She started in Amersfoort, where she took singing, dancing, and acting lessons for years at a theater school. At 15^th She attended the preparatory program at the Rotterdam Conservatory, where she completed the HAVO Music and Dance program. Later, she added Saturday classes at the preparatory program in Tilburg. This meant traveling six days a week from her hometown of Huis ter Heide to Rotterdam and Tilburg. "It was very tough; I often spent six hours a day on the train. But I didn't want anything else." When she was sixteen, she participated in the TV program 'New Musical Star,' an NPO program searching for new musical talent, where she finished in the top three. Soraya: "It was a fantastic experience. I had the opportunity to work with all kinds of musical stars, including Celinde Schoenmaker, my idol. It's the first time I've truly been professionally involved in the field I so desperately want to pursue."

To persevere

For Soraya's parents, the lessons and travel were expensive, and there came a time when it became difficult to afford them. "We had a low income and a talented child. It costs a lot of money to give your child every opportunity, but she was so eager," says Soraya's mother. "People in the industry kept telling us she had talent. So it wasn't about a hobby, but about her future, and we didn't want to take that away from her. At that time, our family was going through a difficult time, but I saw how her passion helped Soraya get through it. Despite the sadness, she persevered. It made her stronger, and that helped us as parents too. That's why it never occurred to us to say we could barely afford it and that she had to stop. We sought help from all sorts of agencies, but there was nothing for children like Soraya."

Actually it couldn't be

Making Soraya's dream come true demanded a lot from the whole family, and Soraya is acutely aware of that. She bursts into tears as she recounts: "It was actually impossible. If my parents had thrown in the towel, I wouldn't have made it. It motivates me even more. It was pretty intense, and knowing your parents are so supportive—they've done so much for you. And we succeeded. I have the best parents ever, but it was incredibly difficult. I had to make sure I was doing everything right to take the next step."

Help from the Youth Fund

Fortunately, Soraya's mother discovered the Utrecht Youth Sports & Culture Fund. And although not all costs could be covered, the contribution helped. "It helped enormously and I'm so happy that we were able to receive that support," says Soraya's mother. "Jolanda, the coordinator of the Youth Fund Sports & Culture Utrecht, has always done everything possible for Soraya, and we are so grateful for that. When Soraya was accepted in Tilburg, I immediately called her to tell her that, thanks in part to the fund, Soraya could make her dream come true.