A young Teddington actor who recently starred in the BBC series Ridley Road has called on the government to stop cutting funds to the arts sector.

Danny Sykes, 23, played Ronnie Malinovsky in the four-part historical drama about the 62 Group, also expressed his gratitude to the Teddington teachers who encouraged his career.

The TV newcomer, who went to Teddington School and St John the Baptist Juniors, also recently appeared in the Sky TV series Bulletproof and historical epic film The Lady of Heaven as well as several high-profile theatre productions.

Speaking to Teddington Nub News, he said: "I want to express how fortunate I am to have been raised here and to express my gratitude to the teachers at St Johns and Teddington school.

"You inspired me to take acting seriously and look at it as a viable career path. Without your support and encouragement I wouldn't be where I am today."

In an interview with Nub News, Danny demonstrated both his passions and his fears for the creative industry.

He said: "I want to use this platform to speak up about the increasing funding cuts to the arts sector.

"It is definitely not the right career for everyone, but creativity is still a valuable skill for whatever job you have.

"Besides, we all benefit from the therapeutic nature of art and the escapism it provides.

"Underfunding creative subjects doesn't just affect the arts sector, it affects all of society. Who wants to live in a world with less music, books and films?

"The richness and diversity of UK culture is one of the greatest gifts we give to the world. We'd really be shooting ourselves in the foot if we let that dry up because we deemed it unimportant compared to other subjects."

Danny described being cast in Ridley Road, based on Jo Bloom's 2014 book is the same name as 'incredibly surreal.'

He added: "It has always been my dream to be in a BBC production and I remember being in complete disbelief once my agent broke the good news.

"I urge everyone to go and give it a watch, if you haven't already, as the show is based on real life British history that most of us won't have heard of.

"Even though my dad is Jewish, I still had not heard of the 62 group and the vital role they played in quashing the rise of fascism in the early 60s.

"I feel incredibly grateful to have been able to learn about this period of history in depth and to get the chance to represent one of those heroes. They did so much for society and they deserve to be talked about and celebrated more."

The role in the series has had a profound on Danny's views of life.

"I know that I am in no position of authority to talk about these things but I believe that everyone can play their part in helping to bring together an increasingly polarised society.

"If you think that this doesn't apply to you then I want to offer you some words of wisdom that a wise man once gave me: 'This is about who you are. Anyone can find views objectionable. It doesn't matter whether you're non-racist or you're non-fascist. It only matters whether you are anti. The question is: what do we do when that program ends? An Anti-fascist fights, an Anti-fascist does.'

"Now I'm not advocating for the use of violence, as I am a firm believer that an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind, but at the same time our silence only aids the side of the oppressor.

"There are many non-violent actions we can take to contribute to a safer, more nurturing society, such as speaking up against injustice when we see it and supporting organisations like the Community Security Trust (CST), Hope not Hate and the National Campaign for the Arts, and making a donation if you are in a viable financial position to do so."

Find out more about Ridley Road here

Related stories

Hampton schoolboy named 'green voice of the future' and will make speech at COP26