Everyone has pronouns and they are an important part of how we all communicate!
For transgender, nonbinary and gender non-conforming people using the correct pronouns helps them feel accepted and seen for who they are. In our work with young people, it’s vital for us to respect their pronouns to build trusting and equitable relationships and create welcoming spaces for all our participants to express themselves.

A member of our Ensemble Young Company shared this with us:
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‘Pronouns are so important to people as it helps them feel validated, respected and listened to. When someone takes the time and effort to ask about and follow someone's pronouns, it shows us that that person actually cares and respects us. It's also important as pronouns are part of our identities. It helps us know who we are and helps us feel more comfortable in our own skin.’ 

​This International #PronounsDay we want to highlight the importance of personal pronouns and help you feel super confident using pronouns. We’ve put together this handy guide that is ideal for parents, teachers, youth workers, or anyone who would like to better understand this topic:

What are personal pronouns?
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Personal pronouns are words we use when talking about someone. They often imply a gender, for example, we typically use she/her pronouns when talking about women and girls or use he/him when talking about men and boys. They/them pronouns are also commonly used when referring to a nonbinary person.

It’s important to understand that although pronouns are useful for indicating and affirming gender; gender identity and expression are complex and personal, and we can’t assume someone’s gender identity based solely on their pronouns.

At Mortal Fools we use the term ‘personal pronouns’ rather than ‘preferred pronouns’ to show that pronouns are not just a preference but an important part of someone's identity. 

Asking about pronouns
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If you’re not sure what pronouns someone uses, it’s best to just ask them. Here are a few ideas that may help:

• Get used to sharing your pronouns when you first meet and introduce yourself. This can help to normalize sharing pronouns and make the person you’re talking to feel more comfortable.
• Keep it simple! You can always ask for someone’s pronouns by asking ‘What pronouns do you use?’
• Be mindful that not everyone will feel comfortable sharing their pronouns in every situation. It is best to ask politely, and privately.
• If you’ve not been able to ask someone yet, refer to them by name or use gender-neutral pronouns like they/them.
  
  

Pronoun types
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• Multiple pronouns – many gender non-conforming people feel comfortable using multiple pronoun sets. Whilst some trans people are not out in every area of their lives so will use a different set of pronouns in places where they feel more comfortable expressing their trans identity.
• No pronouns – Some people only feel comfortable being referred to by their name.
• Neo pronouns – Neo pronouns are pronouns created or adopted by the trans community to best reflect their identities. If you’re unsure how to pronounce these pronouns you can check with the person using them or google them. 

Making mistakes

If you realise you’ve made a mistake with someone’s pronouns, apologise, correct yourself and continue the conversation. It’s best not to over apologise or dwell on the mistake as this can draw unwanted attention and make the person you’re referring to feel uncomfortable.
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Everyone makes mistakes, we’re all human! Just make sure you learn from them and if you’re having trouble remembering to use someone's pronouns you can practice on your own to get more confident. 

Different ways you can share pronouns at work
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• Put your pronouns on your email signature, social media profiles and website.

• If you are wearing a name badge at an event, add on your pronouns.
• Wear a pronoun badge. Many different businesses sell pronoun badges, but at Mortal Fools we love using pronoun badges from the small business Pride and Pronouns Etc. Click here to visit the Pride and Pronouns Etc shop  

Want to learn more?
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This blog has been a simple guide to personal pronouns, designed to introduce the topic and help you refer to people correctly and kindly in your everyday life. However, if you’d like to learn more, check out the following resources:

Pronouns.org has clear and comprehensive information on a variety of topics related to personal pronouns. Click here for Pronouns.org Resources on Personal Pronouns

Them created this brilliant guide to gender-neutral pronouns, including information about neo-pronouns. Click here for Gender-Neutral Pronouns: How To Use "Xe/Xem," "They/Them," and More | Them

Seventeen created this wonderful video inviting trans students to share why pronouns matter to them, drawing on their own experiences. Click here for Why Gender Pronouns Matter - YouTube

If you are looking for support for a young trans person:

Pride Action North has brilliant youth groups and 1 – 1 support for LGBTQIA+ young people across the North East.  Click here to visit Pride Action North’s website

Curious Arts runs Arts Youth Groups across Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesborough for LGBTQIA+/gender non-conforming young people. Click here to visit Curious Arts website

MermaidsUk supports young trans people and their families anywhere in the UK, through their dedicated helpline, groups and online support. Homepage - Mermaids (mermaidsuk.org.uk)

 Why do you think it's important for young people to have access to music-making?

Calum: Music is a magic potion that boosts mood, increases emotional intelligence, bonds groups, instils confidence and determination, helps us endure challenges and adversity and improves memory while aiding self-expression and personal growth.

The word ‘music’ doesn’t come close to summing up the magic that happens when humans get together to play with patterns of sound, pitch and rhythm!

Scott:  I love using music when working with young people as you can see different pieces spark their imagination in ways that images, writing or questions don't. I'm sure everyone has experienced hearing a song that evokes a memory, or a piece of music that brightens up their day. Seeing our young people getting to create their own music has been an excellent experience. 

How have the different groups you’ve worked with approached the theme?

Scott: Some have been focusing on creating underscoring for their theatre pieces with digital and live instruments, some have been writing and composing songs and music videos, and others are using music to help them create new characters and stories. You can be so creative in how you bring it into your work!
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Calum: Not only has each group chosen to use music differently - but all of the young people were instrumental in creating the music itself. We recorded ourselves singing, wrote chord progressions, and basslines, experimented with arrangements, and used group decision-making to come to a result we were all happy with. 

Calum: Not only has each group chosen to use music differently - but all of the young people were instrumental in creating the music itself. We recorded ourselves singing, wrote chord progressions, and basslines, experimented with arrangements, and used group decision-making to come to a result we were all happy with. 

How has this project helped to develop our Youth theatre members' skills?

Scott: It's been great to see members who have never played an instrument before and those with more experience working together to learn from each other and develop their skills playing musical instruments. 
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Our youth theatre members have always impressed us with their imagination and writing skills and getting to work on lyric writing has pushed them to play with meaning, rhyme and rhythm. 

How do you think music has enhanced our members' ability to express themselves creatively?

Scott: Sometimes it's hard to express how you're feeling through words, but we've seen members being able to find a piece of music that just fits a scene or character. As the audience watching the piece, you don't have to be told how to feel, but the music can help guide you. 
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I've also loved seeing our members being able to take the lead on telling our practitioners what they need for their pieces. I've seen their confidence grow whilst working on Sounding Board!

What’s been your favourite part of the project so far?

Calum: By far it’s seeing the growth in confidence that comes with recording the young people. When I put a microphone in the middle of the room and tell them that, by the end of the session, they will be queuing up to sing their favourite lines into the microphone, there is usually some apprehension! But with group encouragement and hype it’s rare to see anyone opting out!
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The realisation that there is no ‘correct' way of singing - you can shout, scream, whisper, croon, express yourself however you feel in the moment, and you can be as silly as you want, knowing the group is going to celebrate whatever you do. We have seen some lovely moments where the shyer participants found their niche, to the delight of the rest of the group! 

Has anything surprised you in the process?
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Calum: There is no shortage of surprises working with young people! After many attempts, there was one group who were still reluctant to sing as a group.

We were starting to think it wasn’t for them, but once we split them off into pairs and small groups, they amazed us by suddenly telling me to start the track, and then they sang their hearts out! It was such a massive win. It takes courage to sing through your inhibitions. 

Scott: There have been a few times when I've been hesitant about whether teaching a group a piece of music will work.

But every time I've been blown away by how they’ve embraced it and I've seen young people picking up instruments for the first time in their life and by the end of the session, they've come up with a melody to play or have made something as part of a group. It's proven to me that young people are so much more capable than we realise!! 

Do you have any advice for practitioners who want to introduce music-making to a group in an accessible and fun way?

Calum: Use what you know and use what THEY know. It’s a collaboration. Don’t be prescriptive or top-down, they spend their whole lives being told what to do! Allow creative freedom and embrace wildness! Always emphasise that everyone has something musical in them, however small it seems. Learn new musical skills yourself! The best teachers are always learning too! 

How has the project helped develop your skills as a Musical Facilitator?

Scott: It's allowed me to explore "actor-musician" theatre making, in which the cast plays the music throughout the show.

This is the kind of work I love watching and have always wanted to create. Getting to work on this project has allowed me to learn and develop the complex skills that are needed to direct both theatre and music at the same time! I'm so glad we've been able to run this project and I'm excited to keep developing my skills.

How has the project helped develop your skills as a Youth Theatre Practitioner?
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Calum: We have used CPD days to share games, creative activities, ideas and feedback among the team, which have left me with a treasure trove of tools to use in my practitioner work. I have so many new ideas about how to tell stories with music and the enthusiasm of the creative team and young people alike has been a constant inspiration. 
 
Thank you to Calum and Scott! This has been a fantastic collaboration which has given our youth theatre members the confidence to explore different modes of self-expression. 

​As a team, we are so impressed with our youth theatre members who have put so much passion and hard work into these, and we just know you will love them! 

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​Youth Music Trailblazer fund

​We couldn’t have made these films without funding from the Youth Music Trailblazer fund. It has enabled us to support children and young people facing barriers to make music through working with Mortal Fools.

Youth Music is a national charity funded thanks to the National Lottery via Arts Council England, players of People's Postcode Lottery, and support from partners, fundraisers, and donors.

Youth Music believe that every young person should have the chance to change their life through music. Their research shows that many can’t because of who they are, where they’re from, or what they’re going through.

Their insights, influence, and investment into grassroots organisations and young people themselves mean that more 0–25 year-olds can make, learn, and earn in music.

You can find out more about Youth Music here: Youth Music Home Page | Youth Music