Our company is made up of young members, participatory artists and practitioners, community partners, and a dedicated wider staff team. We are committed to co-creating compelling, socially relevant, and high-quality theatre-based work together. We constantly develop inclusive ways of working together to support different needs and lived experiences, prioritising young people and communities who face barriers to arts and culture.
We collaborate with approximately 100 young members every week in youth-led, deep level engagements in Northumberland. Young people are at the heart of our organisation, and lead and develop our programmes via our established co-creation practice and our structured monitoring and evaluation toolkit. We also work with and learn from thousands of other children and young people every year via outreach and engagement with our digital assets, mostly in the North East.
We develop our practice and impact through multi-sector partnerships (Youth, Community, Health, and Arts & Culture); jointly co-constructing work to meet the contemporary needs of children and young people. Our wide range of partnerships enables us to contribute to cross-sector policy and practice locally, regionally, and nationally.
We are a purpose-driven organisation. Our work must be relevant to and matter in wider society, and make a demonstrable and measurable difference to those we work with.
We recognise that the presence of positive, secure interpersonal relationships is a key factor in personal wellbeing, motivation, civil engagement, and life fulfilment. We use drama and theatre-based approaches – interpersonal by nature – to support people to build the skills and knowledge to form and maintain better relationships. This work is positive action against the shift towards the divided, competitive, and aggressive societal changes seen in the UK and wider world in recent years.
Through all of our work, we advocate for, demonstrate, and give people ways to form better relationships and learn how positive connection and shared positive experiences can combat the things that drive us apart. Positive mental health and wellbeing outcomes are an integral part of our work. We use the ratified PERMA Framework™ to embed, monitor, and evaluate the impact of our work against defined wellbeing outcomes. We can demonstrate that our work brings about changes in behaviour, outlook, confidence, personal accomplishment, resilience, and positive self-image, towards a more positive future.
We collaborate with approximately 100 young members every week in youth-led, deep level engagements in Northumberland. Young people are at the heart of our organisation, and lead and develop our programmes via our established co-creation practice and our structured monitoring and evaluation toolkit. We also work with and learn from thousands of other children and young people every year via outreach and engagement with our digital assets, mostly in the North East.
We develop our practice and impact through multi-sector partnerships (Youth, Community, Health, and Arts & Culture); jointly co-constructing work to meet the contemporary needs of children and young people. Our wide range of partnerships enables us to contribute to cross-sector policy and practice locally, regionally, and nationally.
We are a purpose-driven organisation. Our work must be relevant to and matter in wider society, and make a demonstrable and measurable difference to those we work with.
We recognise that the presence of positive, secure interpersonal relationships is a key factor in personal wellbeing, motivation, civil engagement, and life fulfilment. We use drama and theatre-based approaches – interpersonal by nature – to support people to build the skills and knowledge to form and maintain better relationships. This work is positive action against the shift towards the divided, competitive, and aggressive societal changes seen in the UK and wider world in recent years.
Through all of our work, we advocate for, demonstrate, and give people ways to form better relationships and learn how positive connection and shared positive experiences can combat the things that drive us apart. Positive mental health and wellbeing outcomes are an integral part of our work. We use the ratified PERMA Framework™ to embed, monitor, and evaluate the impact of our work against defined wellbeing outcomes. We can demonstrate that our work brings about changes in behaviour, outlook, confidence, personal accomplishment, resilience, and positive self-image, towards a more positive future.
Case Studies
Connor Robson, 18 (any pronouns)
Ensemble Young Company Member and Volunteer Peer Facilitator
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"Mortal Fools is the greatest and most welcoming theatre group anyone could be a part of.
In many cases, where young people have been excluded and just need some company and someone to talk to, Mortal Fools has helped us feel supported and cared for. Everyone has an equal part to play and everyone listens to what others have to say.
Teamwork has definitely been a major thing I have developed at Mortal Fools - and being able to fight through times of social anxiety and allow others to feel more welcome too.
Having the opportunity to go on tour and residential exchanges, to meet other youth theatres, have been my favourite moments.
With the shows we have produced in the last few years, the productions have helped many people see how and what others in the world might be struggling with.
Mortal Fools are a massive part of my life and are like a second family to me – that’s why I keep coming back."
In many cases, where young people have been excluded and just need some company and someone to talk to, Mortal Fools has helped us feel supported and cared for. Everyone has an equal part to play and everyone listens to what others have to say.
Teamwork has definitely been a major thing I have developed at Mortal Fools - and being able to fight through times of social anxiety and allow others to feel more welcome too.
Having the opportunity to go on tour and residential exchanges, to meet other youth theatres, have been my favourite moments.
With the shows we have produced in the last few years, the productions have helped many people see how and what others in the world might be struggling with.
Mortal Fools are a massive part of my life and are like a second family to me – that’s why I keep coming back."
Ilana White, 17 (she/her)
Ensemble Young Company Member and Volunteer Peer Facilitator
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"Mortal Fools has been such a lifeline for me. It gives me a space to truly be myself and I have met the most amazing, genuine people. The way this theatre gives young people a voice is honestly really special.
…the laughs we have, those timeless moments that happen out of nowhere that I can see myself looking back on for years to come.
I have developed an ability to enhance creativity in young minds… I feel able to be open about my opinion. My confidence has completely changed since I began Mortal Fools due to the welcoming, caring atmosphere.
Mortal Fools staff care, they really do. Personally, they always give me the space to open up to them and they are really supportive, whilst I go through struggles with my own mental health. They really give me a space in which I can feel accepted.
One thing we are really good at is changing attitudes on childhood to adolescence / adulthood transition, challenging what is right and what is wrong for a teenager or adult to do... Stereotypes are important to tackle …we have brought forward issues like misinformed ideas on the LGBT+ community and facing the fact that you're not alone. These powerful, thought-provoking pieces of theatre are a symbol of young people in our community and in England and are really important in starting a change.
I found Mortal Fools at 16, a lot was changing in my personal life and I'd found myself in a situation with no friends, but the day I walked into my first session I was greeted by some pretty amazing people. I instantly knew I wasn't going anywhere…”
…the laughs we have, those timeless moments that happen out of nowhere that I can see myself looking back on for years to come.
I have developed an ability to enhance creativity in young minds… I feel able to be open about my opinion. My confidence has completely changed since I began Mortal Fools due to the welcoming, caring atmosphere.
Mortal Fools staff care, they really do. Personally, they always give me the space to open up to them and they are really supportive, whilst I go through struggles with my own mental health. They really give me a space in which I can feel accepted.
One thing we are really good at is changing attitudes on childhood to adolescence / adulthood transition, challenging what is right and what is wrong for a teenager or adult to do... Stereotypes are important to tackle …we have brought forward issues like misinformed ideas on the LGBT+ community and facing the fact that you're not alone. These powerful, thought-provoking pieces of theatre are a symbol of young people in our community and in England and are really important in starting a change.
I found Mortal Fools at 16, a lot was changing in my personal life and I'd found myself in a situation with no friends, but the day I walked into my first session I was greeted by some pretty amazing people. I instantly knew I wasn't going anywhere…”
Mark Gate, 18 (he/him)
Trustee, Assistant Practitioner and Former Ensemble Young Company Member & Young Leader
Became a member in 2017
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"Mortal Fools provides a sense of community and opportunity in an area that is lacking professional theatre for young people. We go that extra mile and create professional and exciting work… I kept returning because of the incredible opportunities that I wouldn’t have been able to do without it like going on tour, performing promenade performances at massive outdoor locations, voice recording plays, improvising, animation, incorporating our own songs and loads more. When we made our “My People” short films, I had my first experience of screen acting and it changed my perspective on what I wanted to focus on for my career.
Mortal Fools also took time providing specific opportunities for my development. They supported me to co-create a documentary series ‘Sparked’ on how to co-create theatre, that we then shared with practitioners who work in the industry. Care and inclusion have always been at the heart of this charity, but I really saw this being represented when we relocated to Ashington. The team work relentlessly to give opportunities to places in the North East that are more economically deprived, and I see in board meetings that they are constantly looking at more ways to improve their reach. Our devised projects allow expression for young people with less represented identities such as members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and other issues that young people face. In our Ensemble Young Company play 'iWeigh', we looked at the effects of toxic masculinity and social media. The stories and characters were inspired by our own experiences and had a massive impact on those who came to see it. I remember performing in front of other young people and them telling us how they related to the play and had experienced first-hand a lot of the issues that were being discussed. As a young Trustee I always feel like my opinion and experience is seen as just as important as more experienced Trustees. They value my perspective as a young person and highlight young people’s voices at the heart of everything, from the shows all the way to the decision making at the top. Mortal Fools really did change my life and continues to do so… I am invested in this company and can’t wait to see what is in store." |
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Jessica Whittle, 21 (she/her)
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Elinor Bryant, 26 (she/her)
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Scott Wilson, 26 (he/him)
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Another year of conscious & thoughtful growth! Across the last year, we’ve supported more young people than ever before and co-created some brilliant work.
An overview of our work and how it intersects, alongside a flavour of the next 18 months.
An overview of our work and what’s on offer for youth workers, education professionals,
community groups, creative practitioners, parents, home educating families, and
anyone connected to children and young people.
community groups, creative practitioners, parents, home educating families, and
anyone connected to children and young people.
An overview of Melva Digital - our fun, high-impact digital creative intervention,
supporting the wellbeing of children aged 7-11 years.
supporting the wellbeing of children aged 7-11 years.
An overview of our CONNECT training programme for organisations,
teams, and individuals.
teams, and individuals.
The Importance of Feedback and Testimonials
We rely on feedback from all of our stakeholders to help us improve our work, and to help our case when we're applying for funding from Trusts, Foundations, and Corporate Charity Teams. The right quote from the right person might just be the difference between a 'yes' or a 'no'.
If you've seen a show, attended an event, participated in a project, used Melva, or taken part in a Mortal Fools session, we'd love to hear what you thought. You can:
Tweet us
Leave us a review on Facebook
Send us an email
We rely on feedback from all of our stakeholders to help us improve our work, and to help our case when we're applying for funding from Trusts, Foundations, and Corporate Charity Teams. The right quote from the right person might just be the difference between a 'yes' or a 'no'.
If you've seen a show, attended an event, participated in a project, used Melva, or taken part in a Mortal Fools session, we'd love to hear what you thought. You can:
Tweet us
Leave us a review on Facebook
Send us an email
Scroll down to find out what people have to say about the different areas of our work - from participants to audience members.
"I remember coming home after the very first session
and just standing in my kitchen and saying
'Mum, this is the best thing I've ever done.'"
- BEN GRAINGER, Youth Theatre Member since 2012
"The staff have learned not to make assumptions about what people are capable of. They've had their eyes opened to what the students can do, and seen that some of these kids have been able to do things that no one imagined of them.”
