It’s been a few weeks since our Inevitable? tour wrapped, and we are still getting messages from audience members positively impacted by the show. It’s really got us thinking…..what’s next for Inevitable? Across March and April, our Mortal Fools Ensemble Young Company brought their original new production, Inevitable? to venues across the North in a highly anticipated Spring tour, delighting audiences and selling out performances. Nearly 350 audience members joined us to watch the unfiltered, funny, and thought-provoking show exploring a very universal part of life: becoming an adult. We’d like to take this opportunity to give a huge shout out to our Inevitable? touring venues YMCA Northumberland, Gosforth Civic Theatre, Burnley Youth Theatre & Theatre Porto. Thank you for having us! “As a 12-year-old, I found it really relatable because it touched on topics like friendships changing, facing responsibilities and figuring out who you are. The actors did a great job portraying the emotions and challenges with growing up. The show made me think about my own future and what changes I might face.” – Inevitable? audience member “Having the opportunity for our young people to come and see a show is amazing, as going to the theatre is often an inaccessible experience for many young people. But to also see a show that has been created and performed by other young people was just fantastic. Showcasing stories from young people with similar lived experiences is SO incredibly important and powerful. Our young people were welcomed into the space and benefitted from all of the access provisions in place, making it a brilliant day out for everyone!” - Ailís Lord, Comics Youth CIC Devised and performed by a group of Northumberland young people, Inevitable? was an honest and poignant exploration of the phenomenon of growing up, drawing on the real lived experiences and feelings of the young company members involved in the production. "Inevitable really made me smile and cry. The characters were so relatable and the topics and subjects they went through really helped me prepare and know what to expect in the future. Every character had their own sparkle and their own aspect of the show that really gave it life. Would watch it again 100%." - Inevitable? Audience Member 11 Northumberland Young People from Ashington and the Tyne Valley worked with Mortal Fools and our associate artists since September 2023 to create the show from scratch. “As a young person led production the messaging was beautifully pitched to connect with a wide range of people of all ages in a hugely engaging way. The stage craft and effects were highly polished and professional and further amplified the enjoyment of the performance without it being eclipsed. It was of the highest quality and better than some professional productions in Edinburgh and London.” - Wendy Scott, Northumberland Council Culture Manager Ensemble Young Company is Mortal Fools' dedicated youth theatre group for Northumberland young people aged 13-19 offering the experience of making and touring theatre, as close to a professional process as possible! Kiz Crosbie, Mortal Fools Artistic Director and CEO shared: “Northumberland is one of Arts Council England’s Levelling Up for Culture areas, meaning that the county is recognised as having a significantly lower level of arts and culture activities available for people to take part in than the national average. Mortal Fools’ work has always been focused on Northumberland and gives exciting artistic opportunities to the young people who live there. Inevitable? gave our Ensemble young company members the chance to make a high-quality original theatre show through a process of deep collaboration with a range of professional artists, to showcase their work and voices to public audiences and as a beacon for change.” The current group worked alongside a team of professional theatre practitioners, directors, designers, and technicians to create a full production with sound, lighting, set, costumes, and original music. In the making of Inevitable? They then had the experience of performing to audiences across the North in professional theatre venues, to paying public audiences. This was a unique, high impact opportunity for those young people, many of whom have intersectional needs, mental health difficulties and face challenges in their lives. “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 Mortal Fools gives the young people a voice, is honestly special.” – Ashington Ensemble Young Company Member The production was part of the national Grow Up! Project, created and co-led by Beyond Face, Company Three, Mortal Fools and Prime Theatre. The Grow Up! Project supports youth theatre across the country, drawing on its ability to spark and create radical, transformative change for young people. Due to the success of the Inevitable? production and its impact on audiences, we are busily planning what’s next and exploring the possibility of transforming it into a film, so that the lived experience of Northumberland young people can be seen and heard on a bigger scale. Kiz Crosbie concluded: “We know that it’s not always easy for audiences to access live theatre performances, so we’re excited to be developing a digital content strategy. As part of that, we’re busy working on plans for a filmed version on Inevitable? which will be proudly produced in Northumberland, providing a longer legacy and much wider audience for this brilliant piece of work.”
Any young people aged 13-19 interested in joining Mortal Fools Ensemble Young Company are invited to take part in taster workshops in Ashington this Summer term, ahead of joining one of the groups in Ashington or Riding Mill. Young people can register their interest via: www.mortalfools.org.uk/register-with-mfyt Now of course, none of the above would have been possible without our Inevitable? Tour funders Arts Council England, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Youth Music, Northumberland County Council, Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland & BBC Children in Need. Huge thank you to them for their continued investment in our work and children and young people. Bringing back Inevitable? feels rather…….inevitable? Watch this space!
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A brand new thought-provoking contemporary theatre show capturing the lived experience of young people is touring across the North East and North West this Spring. Mortal Fools Ensemble Young Company are bringing new production Inevitable? to venues across the north in a highly anticipated spring tour. The tour will begin in the North East, starting with daytime and evening shows on Saturday 23rd March in YMCA Northumberland in Ashington. The production will then come to Gosforth Civic Theatre in Newcastle upon Tyne on Wednesday 3rd April. The show will then come to the North West, showing at Burnley Youth Theatre in Burnley on Thursday 4th April, before the final tour show at Theatre Porto in Ellesmere Port on Saturday 6th April. Devised and performed by a group of Northumberland young people, Inevitable? is an honest and poignant exploration of the phenomenon of growing up; drawing on the real lived experiences and feelings of the young company members involved in the production. The show is aimed at teenagers, young people, parents, carers, and those who support and work with teenagers and young people. Mortal Fools Ensemble Young Company Member Ilana explained: “The show is a rollercoaster of emotions; you will laugh, cry, and develop a real connection with each character. We want young people in the audience to remember that no one can be fully prepared for adulthood, and to have fun with the characters as they figure that out.” The production - part of the national Grow Up! project, created and co-led by Beyond Face, Company Three, Mortal Fools, and Prime Theatre - showcases an original soundtrack, striking set design, and the incredible talent, insights, and lived experience of the young company members. Mortal Fools Ensemble Young Company Member Connor explained: “The devising process brought everyone closer together and it’s been fun exploring different lived experiences of growing up. I’ve enjoyed working with the other theatre companies and their young people across the UK via the Grow Up! project – we’ve learnt a lot from each other.” The Grow Up! project supports youth theatre across the country, drawing on its ability to spark and create radical, transformative change for young people. Scott Wilson, Mortal Fools Young People’s Practitioner and Co-Director of Inevitable? explained: “In making Inevitable?, we have combined our interests in theatre, music, and animation to create a show that promises to be bold, exciting, and new. Audiences will be invited to question what it means to 'grow up' in 2024. We are really excited to take our Ensemble Young Company on tour and to share this show with audiences and youth groups.” Mortal Fools CEO and Co-Director of Inevitable? Kiz Crosbie concluded: “Starting with the dynamic voices of Mortal Fools Ensemble Young Company, we've worked together to craft a story which captures the shared human experience of ‘growing up’. The Inevitable? show explores some of the joys, hopes, fears, absurdity, and personal growth of that pivotal moment of turning 18 and legally becoming an adult. It's a fun, thoughtful, and poignant snapshot of this moment - rooted in the contemporary reality of Gen Z and Gen Alpha’s lived experiences." For more information or to book tickets, go to: www.mortalfools.org.uk/inevitable. Across 2023, our conversations with our communities, have highlighted that the cost-of-living crisis is really impacting folks in a wide variety of ways, and that some aren’t clear of what support is available to them. We know things are tricky at the moment for many folks, and whilst can’t solve many of the challenges, we’ve spent time pulling together this downloadable resource, to signpost our Mortal Fools community to those who can help. Download our cost of living and emergency support resource by clicking here If you’re struggling with things right now, the good news is, there is plenty of support available, but we recognize that it can be difficult to navigate, especially in a crisis or if you’re unsure where to start. But don’t worry - this resource is here to help, it signposts to support available across Northumberland and the wider North East and collates it in one place so you can download it and just have to hand.
This resource contains:
It’s so much more than just a “list” – we’ve pulled put helpful websites, emails, phone numbers and important information about each, just to make things a little easier. We hope this resource is helpful and feel free to share it far and wide– as it may help others. We will be getting a print version created in 2024 and distributing widely into our Mortal Fools community. Team Mortal Fools xx |