Unfolding Theatre Receives Garfield Weston Foundation Funding for New Family Show Here Be Dragons
Here Be Dragons Creative Team (left to right); Folasade Fasoyiro Community Champion), Annie Rigby (Artistic Director), Hannabiel Sanders (Music Director) and Lindsay Rodden (Writer). Credit - Mark Savage
We are delighted to announce Unfolding Theatre has received generous funding from the Garfield Weston Foundation to support the creation and delivery of our brand-new family production, Here Be Dragons!
About Here Be Dragons
Here Be Dragons is our first family-focused show. It’s also an adventure that will allow us to deepen our engagement with children and young people. Through this production, we’ll be working with participants from our longstanding young people’s programmes, such as Cowgate Young Theatre Makers, East End Story Makers, and North East Deaf Youth Theatre. These young creatives will be at the heart of our development process, inspiring and shaping the narrative of the show.
Here Be Dragons will be staged on The Unfolding Theatre, our unique, pop-up stage made entirely from reclaimed wood. This flexible and sustainable stage allows us to bring the show directly into communities—touring in areas with low cultural provision.
The Unfolding Theatre. Credit - Von Fox Promotions
Touring to Non-Traditional Spaces
The production will tour a range of non-traditional theatre spaces, including festivals, community halls, and open public spaces - ensuring that families in underrepresented areas have access to live, exciting theatre.
This model was developed in response to what our audiences have told us they want: more theatre in the places where they live, work, and play. We believe that creativity should be accessible to everyone, and Here Be Dragons is designed to bring families together to experience the magic of theatre in both indoor and outdoor settings. Right where people live.
BSL-Integrated Production
Inclusivity is at the heart of everything we do at Unfolding Theatre. As part of this project, we are delighted that this funding will help us to develop a BSL-integrated version of Here Be Dragons, building on our ongoing creative work with the North East deaf community. This ensures that the production will be fully accessible to both hearing and deaf audiences, expanding our reach and continuing our commitment to inclusive, diverse theatre-making.
Thank You Garfield Weston Foundation
We are grateful to Garfield Weston Foundation for their support in helping us imagine and create Here Be Dragons. Their funding makes it possible for us to reach even more children, young people, and families, and to continue to explore innovative ways to bring stories to life.
We are also very grateful to The Cultural Spring who are commissioning the first phase of show's touring in Sunderland and South Tyneside in February. This funding enables us to build on that tour to reach even more audiences across the North East and the UK.
Stay tuned for more updates as Here Be Dragons takes shape! We can’t wait to share this show with you.
For more information about tour dates and locations, keep an eye on our website and social media channels.
#HereBeDragons
