"It is rare to find an organisation with this quality, community focus, and ambition."
-Rob Huggins, Chief Executive Liberdade Community Development Trust
Mortal Fools is an award-winning theatre, film and creative learning charity based in Ashington, Northumberland. We create original work with children, young people and communities, using creativity to build confidence, strengthen relationships and support wellbeing.
We make theatre, films and creative programmes shaped by young people's ideas and experiences. We work with schools, families, artists and community partners to ensure more children and young people can be creative and access the arts, especially those who face barriers. We use the ratified PERMA Framework ™ to embed, monitor and evaluate the impact of our work with young people.
Our work has received national recognition, including a Children & Young People Now Award in 2025 and a Northern PoWEr Women Tech for Good Award in 2026 for the impact of our MELVA mental health programme in schools across the north.
Your support for our work – through donations, partnerships or as a volunteer – can make a huge difference.
We make theatre, films and creative programmes shaped by young people's ideas and experiences. We work with schools, families, artists and community partners to ensure more children and young people can be creative and access the arts, especially those who face barriers. We use the ratified PERMA Framework ™ to embed, monitor and evaluate the impact of our work with young people.
Our work has received national recognition, including a Children & Young People Now Award in 2025 and a Northern PoWEr Women Tech for Good Award in 2026 for the impact of our MELVA mental health programme in schools across the north.
Your support for our work – through donations, partnerships or as a volunteer – can make a huge difference.
A Message from our Artistic Director & CEO, Kiz Crosbie
“I’ve been with Mortal Fools since its inception and my excitement, belief, and drive for this fantastic organisation remains unwavering.
We are committed to enabling the delivery of life-enhancing experiences for our thousands of beneficiaries. Young people need more opportunities to use the arts to explore, understand, and express their current experiences, questions, concerns and hopes, and I’m excited for Mortal Fools to do this with them, now and into the future."
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Why do we do what we do?
We believe strong relationships help people and communities thrive. Our purpose as an organisation is to help people build better relationships with each other.
We use theatre and drama to bring people together, helping them develop the skills, confidence and understanding to connect, communicate and work well with others. We want our work to make a real difference to the people and communities we work with. By strengthening relationships, we help improve wellbeing, encourage participation and create opportunities for people to learn, grow and support one another – all measured with the PERMA Framework™. 
How do we work?
We use high-quality drama and the process of making and performing theatre as our tools for change, supporting the next generation by focusing on activities with children and young people.
We’re passionate about the arts and know that they have the potential to change and enrich lives, to share and show our potential as human beings, and to transform society. Our theatre productions explore contemporary concerns and the realities of the world we’re living in right now – inviting positive change. We believe there is huge value in shared, enjoyable, and entertaining experiences, and of group achievement – especially through challenges. The way we work supports achieving excellence in both the process of making theatre and in the end products. Our work with adults and businesses is founded on the same principles and values that we apply when making theatre; creating an environment that is genuinely supportive and accessible, where everyone feels valued as an individual, and is enabled to contribute. 
What do we do?
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Main funders: Arts Council England Community Foundation Kavli Trust North East Combined Authority Northumberland County Council Postcode Community Trust- Millionaire Street Funding Project/Programme-specific funders: Ashington Town Council BBC Children in Need Co-Op Local Community Fund Garfield Weston Foundation Hadrian Trust Hays Travel Foundation Healthier Together North East and Cumbria Natural England NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board Northumberland Children’s Trust Northumberland Community Chest Northumberland LCEP Paul Hamlyn Foundation Promise Awards- World Youth Clubs Ridley Family Charity Sir James Knott Trust Sylvia Waddilove Foundation UK The Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust The Joicey Trust The Rothley Trust Youth Music Partners & Supporters: Accelerate Ashington Advance Northumberland Appleby Technical Art Works Alliance Arts Centre Washington Ashington Children’s Network Beyond Youth Children & Young People’s Mental Health Coalition Children North East Culture Northumberland Curious Arts Cyber North Gosforth Civic Theatre & Liberdade Community Development Trust Highfield Middle School Muckle LLP NCEA Duke’s Secondary School NENC Child Health & Wellbeing Network Newcastle Gateshead Initiative North East and North Cumbria NHS North East Cultural Freelancers North East Museums Northumberland Arts Development Northumberland College Northumberland Employability Network Northumberland Health and Wellbeing Network Northumberland High Sheriff Pride Action North Riding Mill Parish Halls Trust Ryder Architecture Schools North East Small Business Northumberland Square One Law Thriving Together Northumberland Trinity College London TSG Foundation Virgin Money Womble Bond Dickinson Foundation YMCA Northumberland Youth Employment UK Youth Theatre – national NPO partners and ‘Running a Youth Theatre’ network |
