OUR HISTORYHow we began
SBC's Youth Theatre of Sanctuary performs at Together in the City Festival
Live & Digital Works to instigate social change.
Stand & Be Counted was founded in 2010 with a passion for platforming the voices we need more of. Our work is adventurous and highly political, merging lived experience with new ideas. We have always believed that theatre is a vital tool in the pursuit of positive social change and justice. Art is activism and by changing hearts and minds we will change policy.
2025
London Fashion Week - our Soap Box Collective collaborated with award-winning British-Yemeni fashion designer Kazna Asker as part of her presentation as part of LFW25.
The Railway Children - An Immersive Journey
SOAP BOX Programme - Running in Sheffield, Bradford and Oldham
WELCOME TOOLKIT - A guide to welcoming and listening - coming soon
RIPPLES - Live Performance. Digital Exhibition. Ripples By Tafadzwa Muchenje - coming this autumn.
2024
GlowBus - a touring production and digital exhibition made with and for the people of Oldham; celebrating their ideas, their artworks and their town involving over 800 participants.
Youth Theatre of Sanctuary made multiple projects including Around the World, a football song, video and performance to celebrate the beautiful game with Sheffield FC.
Ripples - R&D for a special project led by Tafadzwa Muchenje
unplugged - A live music and storytelling show exploring the power of friendship on the biggest night of our lives!
NADIA EMAM JOINS AS ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
CHELSEA MORGAN JOINS AS ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
AROUND THE WORLD - To celebrate and kick off Refugee Week and Euro 2024, Stand & Be Counted Theatre’s Youth Theatre of Sanctuary group launched a new hit football song in collaboration with Sheffield FC.
Revolutionary Women & Pete - R&D for a new project in development about Sheffield, the activists and a show about how we might need each other more than ever.
YTOS pop up Book - Unfolding the Wonderful World of Stand and Be Counted’s Youth Theatre of Sanctuary with The Montgomery Theatre and Arts Centre
2023
Secret Summer - commissioned by The Space and Theatre in the Mill, supported by The Montgomery Theatre is presented with Oldham Coliseum and Migration Matters Festival.
SBC become the first Theatre Company in Residence at Deer Shed Festival, presenting Secret Summer, Have Your Passport Ready.
Our Youth Theatre of Sanctuary open Pound’s Park - Sheffield’s new city playground with a special performance. They also have their videogame project with Biome Collective exhibited at the National Videogame Museum.
Gifted - a project working with community groups and clubs in Oldham to collectively create an immersive adventure that took over Hilton Arcade, making personalised gifts and a brand new book to be shared with each other.
Food with Friends - with our Soap Box Bradford group, we made a collection of delicious recipes and stories from around the world, made with love to share with friends. It was made as a recipe book, with the online exhibiton available on our website.
Playing With Power Exhibition - A National Videogame Museum, and Biome Collective; The Playing With Power project reimagined stories from Sheffield’s You Theatre of Sanctuary as a video game.
Together for change - The SOAPBOX COLLECTIVE seeking talked about issues they care about most, and the role of allies to best support them.
Press PLAY ► Welcome to Pounds Park! - Stand & Be Counted's YTOS produced a welcome performance to launch the opening of brand new Sheffield city centre playground, Pounds Park.
Future Proof! A Celebration Event & Film Premiere - working together (in multiple languages) to explore cultures of 'wellbeing'.
Help Each Other! - A co-created short film exploring what we learned during the Covid-19 pandemic. Children from across the globe, aged 3-15, who now call Sheffield home shared big ideas and great advice to bring us all together.
2022
Secret Summer - commissioned by The Space and Theatre in the Mill, supported by The Montgomery Theatre
Together - commissioned by Sheffield Theatres, supported by The Montgomery Theatre
Youth Theatre of Sanctuary - programme continues in partnership with The Montgomery Theatre
Soap Box Leeds - programme & interactive exhibition commissioned by Leeds 2023
Soap Box York - programme commissioned by Pilot Theatre
Soap Box Coventry - programme continues funded by Coventry City Council
Soap Box Sheffield & Barnsley - programme and performance at Festival of the Mind commissioned by University of Sheffield
The Welcome Series - funded by Coventry City Council
Soap Box Sheffield & Barnsley - programmes commissioned by The University of Sheffield
ANAN TELLO JOINS AS ASSOCIATE
How A City Can Save The World - short films commissioned by Sheffield Theatres
SBC becomes a charity!
2021
Can You Hear Me, Now? - commissioned by Coventry City of Culture Trust, in partnership with The Belgrade Theatre and Coventry Refugee Migrant Centre
Hidden Winter - co-production with The Herd, commissioned by Bradford Producing Hub and supported by The Victoria Wood Foundation
LAUNCH: The UK’s first Youth Theatre of Sanctuary - supported by Sheffield Theatres and The Victoria Wood Foundation
Words of Welcome - programme and publication commissioned by ArtReach and Manchester City of Sanctuary
Sheffield Embraces - commissioned by Sheffield Theatres, supported by The Victoria Wood Foundation
Coventry Welcomes - commissioned by Coventry City of Culture Trust
Windows of the World - Exhibition by Maha Al-Omari commissioned by Bradford 2025
Creative Activism & Leadership - programme in partnership with Coventry City of Culture Trust
Creative Skills for Wellbeing - programme in partnership with World Jewish Relief
Soap Box Coventry - programme funded by Coventry City Council
Sanctuary Sounds - Commissioned by Theatre in the Mill
No Media Spin: How SBC helps Refugees and Asylum Seekers tell their stories - Feature, The Stage
SMART BANDA JOINS AS DIGITAL DIRECTOR
MAHA AL-OMARI JOINS AS ASSOCIATE
The Bone Sparrow - Associate Company of Pilot Theatre’s touring production
Family Fun Days - summer and winter holiday programme commissioned by The Montgomery Theatre
Sheffield Hallam University - Guest Artist
2020
CREATIVE RESIDENCY - Berlin & Reichenow, Germany
RESIDENT COMPANY - Theatre in the Mill, Bradford
WHERE WE ARE - Creative Documentary commissioned by Journeys Festival International, Camden People’s Theatre, Cast and Theatre in the Mill
FIRAS CHIHI JOINS AS COMMUNITY DIRECTOR
SANCTUARY BROADCAST COMMISSION- artworks by archipelago collective, Gaël Le Cornec, Maha Alomari, Majid Adin, Tricia Arthur-Stubbs, Ed Grimoldby & Katy Weir
POSTA AEREA - THE PLACE I CALL HOME festival - Paines Plough & Elsinor Theatre, Milan
HAVE YOUR PASSPORT READY - supported by Knaïve Theatre
KHALED ALJAWAD & JOINS AS ASSOCIATE
WHERE WE BEGAN + LIVE Q&A - Migration Matters Festival Online & Coventry Welcomes (Online)
HERE I AM - in partnership with Northern Broadsides & Artworks (online)
SBC PERFORMANCE TALK & WORKSHOP - Coventry Welcomes (Online) and Bradford Producing Hub’s Show + Tell (online)
USE YOUR VOICE - Creative skills for public speaking and activism in partnership with Refugee Council
CREATIVE SKILLS FOR EMPLOYMENT - Coventry, Asylum Migration Integration Fund (European Commission)
SBC COMMUNITY PERFORMANCE ENSEMBLE - Sheffield
CREATIVE SKILLS FOR EMPLOYMENT (online) - Bradford, Wakefield and Bristol , Asylum Migration Integration Fund (European Commission)
2019
CREATIVE SKILLS FOR EMPLOYMENT - Sheffield, Asylum Migration Integration Fund (European Commission)
CREATIVE SKILLS FOR EMPLOYMENT - Leeds, Asylum Migration Integration Fund (European Commission)
ZOE KATSILEROU JOINS AS ASSOCIATE
WELCOME CONSORTIUM - formed alongside fellow Theatre Company’s of Sanctuary
APPLIED THEATRE IN PRACTISING INTEGRATED APPROACHES - European ERASMUS + project, Romania
ORGANISATION DEVELOPMENT (ACE, Theatre in the Mill, Cast, East Street Arts)
2018
WHERE WE BEGAN - Sold out National Tour (ACE)
THE VISITOR - Journeys International Festival, commissioned by ArtReach
CREATIVE SKILLS FOR EMPLOYMENT (Pilot programme) - Sheffield & Leeds, commissioned by World Jewish Relief
THE JOURNEYS - caravan showcase, Brighton Festival in collaboration with Third Angel
MANIFESTO MOVE! - Latitude Festival, commissioned by Leeds Beckett University
TAFADZWA MUCHENJE JOINS AS ASSOCIATE
NEW INTERNATIONALISTS - Farnham Maltings seed investment & development
SBC PRESENT AT IETM, Munich
WHERE WE BEGAN - R&D (ACE)
2017.
‘TANJA’ - Sold out National Tour (ACE)
THE JOURNEYS - in collaboration with Third Angel, commissioned by Migration Matters Festival
STAND & BE COUNTED - commissioned by Leeds Beckett University for Latitude Festival
WHERE WE BEGAN - R&D in collaboration with Tafadzwa Muchenje, Zoe Katsilerou, Gael Le Cornec, Shireen Farkhoy
WINNERS of ARC, Stockton’s ‘Bridging The Gap’
THE NEST recommissioned
SBC present at GIFT Festival
‘TANJA’ - Migration Matters Festival (Headline)
‘TANJA’ - Pulse Festival
2016.
‘TANJA’ - R&D in collaboration with Emily Ntshangase-Wood
NAMED UK’S FIRST THEATRE COMPANY OF SANCTUARY
HANNAH BUTTERFIELD JOINS COMPANY AS ASSOCIATE
‘TANJA’ - Sold out National Tour (ACE)
ASSOCIATE COMPANY - Cast, Doncaster
2015.
‘TANJA’ - Houses of Parliament in partnership with City of Sanctuary
INSIDE - National Tour (ACE)
‘TANJA’ - R&D in collaboration with Hannah Butterfield (ACE)
THE NEST - commissioned by NIHR, directed by Peter Bradley
‘TANJA’ - Migration Matters Festival, Scratch performance
‘TANJA’ - Houses of Parliament in partnership with City of Sanctuary
2014.
INSIDE - Canterbury Festival
CENTURY - Sheffield Theatres, directed by Poppy Rowley
‘TANJA’ - R&D
2013.
INSIDE - Preview at Theatre503 & The Lowry
INSIDE - Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh Fringe Festival
2012/2011.
ELASTIC BRIDGE - Tabard Theatre, London
ELASTIC BRIDGE - North West Tour
INSIDE - R&D
ELASTIC BRIDGE - North West Tour
2010.
FOUNDED BY ROSIE MACPHERSON & JOHN TOMLINSON
DEBUT ELASTIC BRIDGE at Salford Lads Club