WHO WE ARE

Stand And Be Counted Theatre

Welcome • Empower • Create • Action • Now

Our WOrk

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.

We proudly sit at the intersection of arts, culture & social activism.

What We Do

Stand and Be Counted make live and digital theatre with a proud record for platforming new artists and welcoming new audiences. Our work is innovative, adventurous and political, merging lived experience with new ideas.

Our work merges new writing, live music, physical performance and digital arts. We make small-mid scale contemporary theatre, large-scale community performance projects, educational & empowerment workshops, interactive films, audio adventures, documentaries and site-specific performance.

Mission

Stand and Be Counted make LIVe & digital works to instigate change.

Stand & Be Counted is the UK’s first and leading Theatre Company of Sanctuary, committed to making work with and for people seeking sanctuary (refugees, asylum seekers and new migrants). We proudly sit at the intersection of arts, culture & social activism. Through a rigorous and adventurous co-creation programme we provide thousands of people seeking sanctuary with regular, long-term making opportunities and events in order to celebrate, platform and ensure equality of opportunity.

The UK's first Theatre Company of Sanctuary

In 2016 SBC became the first ‘Theatre Company of Sanctuary.' We are committed to making work with and for people seeking sanctuary in the UK and internationally. We are co-founders of the Welcome Consortium: a grass-roots movement for theatre-makers building a culture of welcome within our communities.

What is a Theatre Company of Sanctuary?

Creating spaces and opportunities supporting the development of communication skills, self-expression and wellbeing.
Promoting intercultural experiences and collaboration.
Offering work placements and paid opportunities to people who came to the UK seeking sanctuary.
Championing artists with lived experience and the myriad of stories they have to tell.
Training a network of arts professionals who can join us in putting people seeking sanctuary at the top of their priority list.

Formalise a Best Practice Toolkit for working creatively with people seeking sanctuary, via our Welcome Consortium, directly addressing the lack of current national guidelines.
Be ambassadors for the work that City of Sanctuary does across the UK.
Supporting and challenging other arts organisations to become involved in this work.
Ensure tickets and opportunities are always available for people seeking sanctuary.

Who We Are

Stand & Be Counted is a group of creative professionals and artists committed to making work with and for people seeking sanctuary in the UK and internationally.

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