Hanby and Barrett is a participatory arts organisation specialising in outdoor theatre events. We work in and with communities to create performances about those communities; their heritage and history, their culture and identity, their stories and their aspirations. The plays are performed in locations that are central to that community’s history however unusual they may be, and this site specific nature of much of the work is central to our growing reputation. We have staged shows in woods, train stations, churches, schools, parks, a Napoleonic Blast Furnace, and throughout the streets and public spaces of towns and villages across the East Midlands.

Our shows usually include large local casts and combine strong stories and spectacle to produce beautiful, well crafted theatre that entertains, surprises and delights participants and audiences alike. Most important of all is the fact that we are as inclusive as possible, encouraging seasoned performers to work alongside those who have never performed before, backed up with the skills of professional artists and technicians.

For us the enjoyment of the work is both in the artistic quality but also in the energy that is created as the play develops. After everything has been packed away and the last piece of confetti has been picked up the communities that we work in often feel like slightly different places. New relationships have been forged, communities have a clearer idea about what makes them who they are, and a sense of possibility is in the air, leaving the question ‘What shall we do next?’

Best wishes,

Andy and Julian