A talented, young performer has a powerful voice and a bright future, but the cost of a top-class education is a barrier for this working-class lad from Bootle.
Adam Cusack, 15, has been performing since he was four years old and has completed one of two years at Chester's The Hammond School, the oldest vocational dance school in the country. Getting into the school is his proudest achievement so far.
The school granted him a bursary, but this covers only half his fees, leaving his family to fork out the other £11,475 themselves.
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Last year, the Cusacks raised money from family and friends to cover the cost of the specialist school, but they feel they can't do this again given how much people have struggled financially due to Covid.
Instead they are hoping businesses, celebrities or people with money will sponsor Adam to help him achieve his dreams. He will also done virtual performances and will be busking this summer to raise money.
Adam, who went from singing in the local church hall to performing on the stage of the Empire in Liverpool city centre at the age of seven, told the ECHO what is at stake for him.
He said: "I think this school is, at this point, my future. I've been there for a year. I've made bonds with people, not just students, but teachers as well, that I think are so important to my future and so important to my career in this.
"I think if I don't raise the money, I am going to be missing out quite a lot. And to be honest, I will be devastated, because I do absolutely love it there. And I am learning so much.
"I am developing so much as an actor, and not necessarily as an actor, but also as a person. I think the school itself is so good that to miss out on that opportunity will be critical to my progression in the future."
The intense focus on performing arts, and the opportunity to practice dancing, which Adam hasn't done much of before, is what attracts Adam to the school. The small class sizes also means he gets extra attention while studying for his GCSEs.
The natural-born performer told the ECHO how he feels when he's on stage.
Adam said: "It's so hard to explain because it's not like anything else. It just feels amazing. Like, the whole experience is so surreal.
"And then my favourite moment is when you take a bow at the end, and the whole atmosphere in the room, you just feel amazing. You genuinely do."
Adam dreams of performing on the West End. His favourite song to sing is 'Bring Him Home' from the hit musical Les Misérables.
Explaining why, he said: "It's such a gorgeous song to sing. I just love it. I think it's got such a strong story, and it's really powerful.
"So to be able to act that out and to be able to put that across to people and help other people feel the same way that you do when you're singing, it's so cool. It's such a good song."
Mum Tracy, 50, is proud of her son for being true to who he is.
She told the ECHO : "It's quite hard juggling everything for any family, whether it be football, cricket, you know, acting and stuff. It's late nights, we have to give things up for the financial side and stuff.
"And you just see him and it's just, it sounds a bit, because I'm his mom, but he is naturally talented, and he just thrives from it and he just loves it."
Not being in an environment where he gets to pursue his passion full time would make Adam sad.
He told the ECHO : "I've made a lot of friends there. The course that I'm on, I love so much. And the teachers that I'm working with, and the curriculum that I'm on, is different to schools where I've previously been.
"To not have that, to not have that extra push, to not have that, you know, to not have that experience and that atmosphere is really sad. It'd be really weird."
If you can help email tracycusack1@hotmail.co.uk
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