2024: Our Highlights

What a year it’s been! As we look back, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed with pride and gratitude for all the incredible moments we’ve shared. From meeting King Charles and Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, to creating art that inspires; this year has been all about bringing people together—and none of it would have been possible without you! So, let’s take a moment to celebrate and reflect on the projects that made this year truly unforgettable.

Social Action

This year, our youth theatres came together for their landmark Social Action performances centred on social injustice. The young performers explored critical issues through original works that were both powerful and deeply moving. A special shoutout to our Huddleston group for their award-winning piece, about disability hate crime, a testament to the passion, creativity, and awareness of our next generation.

Social Action is the highlight of my Immediate Theatre year. It’s a celebration of community, Hackney and the work Immediate Theatre undertakes. The atmosphere is always great and watching all the plays is super. I enjoy learning about issues that are so important to the young people we work with.”

Gavin Dent, SEND Coordinator

To find out more about our Social Action project and some of the issues covered this year visit our Social Action blog here!

Interactions

This year our interactions group explored the often-overlooked impact of social exclusion and its effect on well-being and education. This remarkable dissection led to vital discussions and the development of the script used in our Easter holiday project.

Interactions has been such an impactful session for everyone involved and it's been wonderful to see the development of young people through the term. We focused over six sessions on identity, community,
and choices. Before the sessions, two of our participants did not have any 'goals in life'. Through our work we have now set short term and long-term goals which are achievable and impactful. I am enthralled by the work they did and am excited to see what they do next as they continue their journey.

Sofia, Youth Programmes Coordinator

What’s Your Story?

What’s Your Story? made a profound impact this year, helping women gain the skills, confidence, and connections they need to enter the workforce. By fostering empowerment through creativity, this project has been opening doors to new opportunities. As usual Hannah, our Pathways coordinator worked closely with each participant, offering creative workshops and one-to-one support throughout, and after the process.

It was such a creatively challenging experience, and I felt so proud [of] all the things we achieved from the creative brainstorming, mask-paintings, role plays, dance and especially the conversation cubes! ... You inspired me so much and spread so much positivity and created an environment where us women could express ourselves so comfortably. The experience allowed me to step outside my comfort zone… And I do feel more confident in that area. It's a shame I lost my voice on the final week but I'm so glad that I was able to be part of the What's Your Story programme. It really prompted me to embrace my femininity more and I've just learnt so much, so thank you for that!

WYS Participant

We held space twice this year for women to come together. It is always exciting to watch the growth in confidence and self-assurance our women have, this is largely due to the community they create in the room. I am blessed to have been leading this project once again and I look forward to finding new places and ways to support the amazing women within our communities!

Hannah, Pathways To Employment Coordinator

Find out more and get involved with What’s Your story? Here!

Breakout

Our much-loved Breakout programme returned, engaging young people aged 5-12 in the timeless wisdom of global folktales. This year the young people explored stories from four different regions, representing the four ancient, Greek elements: air, water, fire, and earth, each instilling their own set of values

Mexico - The Cuckoo Bird taught compassion and empathy

Africa and the Caribbean - Element highlighted kindness and forgiveness

Greece - Prometheus explored integrity and sacrifice

Scotland - Robert the Bruce emphasized courage and loyalty

Through these stories, participants connected deeply with cultural narratives while discovering their own inner strengths. This year’s performances were packed with creativity, heart, and soul proving that even the youngest among us have something important to say.

It was a joy to see them [my child] in a new light, with confidence and maturity they never typically display

Parent

I was thrilled to see the young people challenge themselves through a different style of performance. Although initially hesitant, they became more comfortable with theatre in the round

Kyarna, Schools Coordinator

This year's breakout celebrated the importance of telling stories. Our young people worked hard to devise scenes created from four different folktales. It was a joy to watch them impart the knowledge and messages within these stories onto their audience.”

Hannah, Pathways to Employment Coordinator

Exposure

With Exposure, our Estate-based Youth Theatres explored the ancient myth of Echo and Narcissus, linking it to the challenges of modern-day social media usage. The project opened dialogue about identity, validation, and mental health resonating powerfully with our young performers and audiences alike.

When asked what their favourite part of the project was, the young people said:

“Learning about the story of echo and narcissus.” and “Performing with [their] friends.” Were some of their best memories.

Find out more about the story of Echo and Narcissus here!

Speech Bubbles

In partnership with the Speech Bubbles programme, we worked with KS1 children to improve communication skills through drama. This year-long, evidence-based initiative has been instrumental in building confidence and expression in young learners.

It is exciting to build positive relationships with new schools, and continue furthering our current partnerships through Speech Bubbles.

Kyarna, Schools Coordinator

Theatre Exchange

This year’s Theatre Exchange performances were a true highlight, with Off The Cuff touring community centres, lunch clubs and local churches in Hackney, Newham, and Enfield. The joy, connection, and sheer talent displayed proved that creativity truly has no age limit.

When asked how attending the show made them feel, the majority of people replied:

Happy, Inspired and Uplifted

Off The Cuff Audience Members

which is a testament to the impact of the great work Theatre Exchange has been doing in the community! We can’t wait for next year’s performances.

The last year has been very engaging and satisfying. Engaging with community organisations in Hackney, Enfield and Newham and spending time with participants in sharing music, words and dance
moves has been an uplifting opportunity and always worth the effort.

The last Theatre Exchange show although challenging in the new format has filled me with so much joy. Worth the long hours! Our groups of volunteers are a constant source of awe and positive examples that life definitely does not stop at 60!

I am also very proud to have been part in the last year of the Production Club for the Voices of Change project. The members have grown in confidence and knowledge about heritage and the importance of preserving voices and life stories. It was very important for me to contribute, even if in small part, to their sense of agency and empower them to find community cohesion, develop communication and self-confidence."

Tiziana, Creative Connections Programme Coordinator

Find out more about Theatre Exchange here!

Voices of Change

With the launch of the Hackney and Newham History Social Club podcast, we began celebrating and recording the stories of people who came to Hackney and Newham between 1960 and 1990. These powerful oral histories honour the voices of change-makers and community builders who have shaped our neighbourhoods.

Sharing my story brought back so many wonderful memories, I love Hackney, and I am proud to tell my story about the contributions I made along with other members of my community, thank you for giving me the chance to tell my story.

Chock, Volunteer / Contributor

I’ve been in Hackney all my life, seeing everyone here but now I feel we’ve met properly and talked. It’s lovely.

Behige, Production Club Volunteer

It’s been humbling to have so many people happily share their stories and family history with History Social Club, good times and bad; whether it’s working in a factory, running a corner shop or swimming at an outdoor pool.

To hear about the lives of people who’ve shaped Hackney and Newham, who’ve found love, friendship, even a lost relative in our boroughs’ special places is a privilege.

Tamsin, VOC Producer

The stories in this series are a love letter to East London and I’m proud to be involved in the telling of them. A beautifully made series that is going from strength to strength. A real team effort from the production team, to the outreach team and most especially the people who have shared their stories with us.

Sue Elliot-Nicholls, Hackney and Newham History Social Club Host

Listen to the amazing stories on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts - HNHSC

The Hackney Young Collective

This year, we introduced the Hackney Young Collective, a transformative project designed to help young performers break into the industry. They’re devising a professional performance set to debut next year, gaining invaluable experience along the way.

2024 saw the creation of a brand-new project, designed to support young creatives. Hackney Young Collective launched a series of introductory workshops in July and now as we move into a new year, we have a collective of eager creatives producing their own show! I am excited to see what this cohort produce and with any luck launch a second one early next year!

Hannah, Pathways to Employment Coordinator

[Hackney Young collective is a] Great place to explore and create! It is helping me with my career by giving me experience and hopefully unlocking more opportunities in the future. It’s great to be in connection with other creatives my age and who share my passion.

Jazz, Participant

Hackney Half

Sometimes the best way to support our community is to lace up our running shoes! This year, we took part in the Hackney Half Marathon to raise money for our Estate-based Youth Theatre programmes.

With every step, we raised funds to buy food for the children in these programmes—because no child should have to worry about basic needs while engaging with the arts.

I wanted to set myself a challenge and do something out of my comfort zone

James, Administrator.

As you know, our work has no finish line – if you would like to help us hit the next milestone, please donate here!

Rift

Our audio drama production, Rift, written by Abi Falase, is a work in progress. It focuses on the impact of male privilege and its effects on others. Designed for schools, this innovative initiative is a powerful tool for promoting understanding and equality among young listeners. We will be debuting this pilot in the new year and expect it to be an innovative way of engaging young people in schools and beyond

We are really excited about Rift by Abi False which we commissioned and started work on this time last year. The play raises such important issues about attitudes to women and girls.  We know it is important to get this work out to as many young people as possible and so are piloting a new approach of creating an audio recording of the play accompanied by workshop plans for teachers. Initial feedback is excellent with teachers feeling confident that they could use these resources in the classroom, the work allows them the flexibility to use the work at the right time for them rather than needing to fit it into limited tour dates.  We are looking forward to launching the resource in early 2025

Jo Carter, Artistic Director

Wrapping Up

Every project this year has been a testament to the dedication and creativity of our performers, volunteers, and supporters. Together, we’ve not only entertained but also educated, empowered, and inspired. Thank you for making 2024 so special.

We can’t wait to continue building on this incredible work! Let’s make 2025 even brighter!

Special thanks to our patron, Idris Elba, his wife Sabrina Elba and friend Christian Louboutin

Despite the amazing projects we have managed to deliver; this year has been fraught with challenges. Your continued support is extremely important to us. There are a variety of ways you can continue to support us in 2025 which include, volunteering, coming to our performances and events, spreading the word, and following us on social media.

You can also support us by making a donation here!

If you would like to support us, and are still not sure how – drop us an email at info@immediat-theatre.com

We look forward to seeing you in the new year! Let’s make it another one to remember!