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.​

Case Studies

Connor Robson, 18  (any pronouns)
Ensemble Young Company Member and Volunteer Peer Facilitator
Became a member in 2016
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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."

Ilana White, 17 (she/her)
Ensemble Young Company Member and Volunteer Peer Facilitator
Became a member in 2022
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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…”

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."

​Jessica Whittle, 21 (she/her) 
Assistant Practitioner & Coordinator 
Joined Mortal Fools in 2023
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"I can thrive the most when I am part of a close-knit, supportive team, who will help encourage me to be the best version of myself. The thought of graduating from my degree was quite anxiety-inducing, as I had heard that a lot of work in the arts can feel quite lonely and unstable. Mortal Fools has provided me with the stability, consistency, and support I need to find my feet in the industry in my first job.

Mortal Fools has invested so much into me as an arts practitioner and an individual. I have noticed a massive improvement in my confidence and skills as an artist, now actively taking a lead and feeling much more self-assured in what I have to offer.

A memorable moment is our Fools Fest event… I just remember feeling a really strong sense of belonging and shared passion for what we were working towards. It was a long day, but everyone was there to support and motivate each other, and it was an amazing feeling when everything came together.

Our unique approach to co-creation means I can experiment as an artist alongside our young members we work with, which is extremely rewarding.

Mortal Fools’ ethos is centred around giving young people a voice, and this is always evident in the art we co-create together – young people are just as important in guiding the devising process as those further in their careers. And our company culture means we all have a chance to contribute to developing ways of working in a fun and collaborative way."

Elinor Bryant, 26 (she/her) 
​Marketing & Community Engagement Assistant 
Joined Mortal Fools in 2022
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"I have enjoyed being encouraged to take risks and try new things in my role at Mortal Fools… Working with other young people to share their voices and opinions on a variety of topics.

In my working experience and those of my friends, it seems most places have strict hierarchical structures that only serve the needs of those higher up in the organisation - often to the detriment of the organisation as a whole.

Mortal Fools feels like a really supportive working environment where I feel I can be myself and say what’s on my mind… we have a clear common goal of supporting young people.

Our theatre projects help challenge perceptions… I feel like I’m channelling my frustrations (which many of our beneficiaries, staff, and parents share) with things like the education system and lack of mental health services - and helping move things in the right direction. I’ve had lot of conversations with parents and community members after seeing our films or performances saying that it’s helped them relate better to the young people in their lives.

There is no one size fits all approach at Mortal Fools which means that if a young person needs to move around to fully engage with a session or needs something explained in a different way to others in a group for example, those things can be accommodated and that often translates to them feeling comfortable and able to contribute and we can see who they really are and find out about their ideas, interests and experiences.

A huge amount of trust is put in me to carry out my ideas… It feels quite radical and different to my previous experiences of employment."

Scott Wilson, 26 (he/him)
Practitioner & Coordinator
Joined Mortal Fools in 2020
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"Making our Ensemble Young Company show 'Flux' was the biggest and boldest production I’d ever been part of, I learned so much from co-directing the show. Getting to go on tour around the UK was a fantastic experience too. I loved meeting other youth groups and audiences and getting to share our work with them.

I’ve learned so much to develop my own theatre making practice and the company has helped me to recognise and support the things I need to maintain positive wellbeing… I always feel like I have support to take creative risks, push myself, and grow in confidence and ability.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned as a young artist at Mortal Fools is to find the ideas that excite you and trust those you’re working with to help you find the way to make them happen.

It’s a difficult time to be growing up in the world for young people at the moment, but each week I get to share sessions with our members and hear the amazing ideas and views they have about the world, playing a part in shaping ideas and thoughts into high quality and impactful theatre!

I love Mortal Fools’ approach that anyone, regardless of their background or needs, is welcome. As we meet and engage with more and more young members with a range of diverse needs, our practice continues to grow and develop.

Our co-creation practice as a company exists in our whole approach. Whether in the creation of new projects and work, writing and devising new theatre, or looking at ways to develop wider company strategy - I feel part of an extremely collaborative team and my contributions are listened to and considered in decision making.

Mortal Fools’ focus on wellbeing alongside developing skill and quality artistic outputs is unlike any other company I know of in the North East of England. I’m so proud to be part of the team."

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CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD OUR IMPACT REPORT 2022/23

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.

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Click here to download our Mortal Fools Programmes Summary 2023/24

An overview of our work and how it intersects, alongside a flavour of the next 18 months.

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Click here to download our What’s On Offer At Mortal Fools Resource

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.

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Click here to download our Melva Summary Resource

​An overview of Melva Digital - our fun, high-impact digital creative intervention,
​supporting the wellbeing of children aged 7-11 years.

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Click here to download our CONNECT Training Summary Resource

An overview of our CONNECT training programme for organisations,
​teams, and individuals.

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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

​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

Youth Theatre Testimonials

"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.”

- TEACHING STAFF, Collingwood School and Media Arts College

In School Testimonials