31 Years of DIY Theatre Company!

Photo: 31 Years of DIY Theatre Company!

Unbelievably it’s now a year since DIY celebrated our 30th birthday, which we marked with lots of exciting birthday projects and two big birthday events. 

Now we are 31! so we thought it would be a good idea to take a look back over the 12 months since our Birthday celebrations last June. We’ve been very busy and we can’t possibly cover everything we’ve been doing during the past year, but it’s a great opportunity to remember some of the highlights of our 31st year!  

Summer Project with Uncurbed Collective 

During Summer 2024, artists from DIY Theatre and Uncurbed Collective (Formerly Proud & Loud Arts) undertook a collaborative project that was all about to the voices of disabled people being heard within the development of Salford’s Cultural Strategy 

The collaboration began in June 2024 with a series of exploratory sessions, which fed into a two-week Summer residency In August 2024 when DIY artists Anna, Cathy, Amy, Paul, and Robert joined up with five artists from Uncurbed Collective and the brilliant Company Chameleon for a fantastic creative collaboration.  

 The first week of the project was based at the University of Salford. DIY artists worked with Company Chameleon’s co-artistic director, Kevin Edward Turner and five artists from Uncurbed Collective to co-create a series of movement sections that explored everyone’s thoughts, feelings and experiences of Salford’s cultural spaces. 

Image credit: Phil Smethurst, Manchester Lights Media

In the second week, the movement pieces created at New Adelphi were performed in cultural venues across Salford including Salford Museum and Art Gallery, The Lowry, Media City, Walk the Plank, Ordsall Hall, Eccles Library, and START therapeutic gardens. 

At each location, DIY and Uncurbed Collective artists, worked with Kevin and film-maker Phil Smethurst to rehearse and film the dance pieces created during the previous week. Two films were created – a thought-provoking process film documenting the journey and highlighting issues that emerged during the project, and a beautiful artistic film of the creative work made by the ensemble during the residency which you can watch below!

Artists shared their thoughts on the project:

It was overwhelming at the beginning but because we were there every day for two weeks I started to feel more relaxed as the days went on. I just felt really proud of myself for sticking with it” – (K, Artist)

It made a big difference because I‘m coming out of my shell better and stuff and I look into people’s eyes and stuff. So I don’t feel as shy anymore” – (R, Artist)

So at the Lowry, we did like a little dance routine and then I was like I don’t think that works here, can we try this? and we tried a different dance and it worked at The Lowry… I can bring the outdoor arts and adaptability to like DIY.  Like does this work in a session or do we have to adapt it, for it to work?” – (A, Artist)

If people got a little bit stuck you would actually get a bit of help. And also people worked as a team with their groups and that. They work well together… I feel really happy because I liked working with Proud and Loud. We worked together really well” – (R, Artist)

We all worked really well together even from day one of the first week. A person from Proud and Loud worked with a person from DIY and that was to get to know each-other and got us working together. I enjoyed that.” – (J, Artist)

Proud and Loud have got skills that I’ve not got and I’ve got skills what Proud and Loud have not got – so we were skill-sharing – (A, Artist)

Hanging by a Thread

During the past year, DIY’s Core Company has toured our multi-sensory show, Hanging by a Thread, to lots of venues across the North West. These venues include the University of Salford, Manchester’s Piper Hill School, Bolton’s Firwood School, Salford’s Springwood School, Aspire-Waterside, Aspire-St George’s, We Invented the Weekend at Salford Quays, Darnhill Festival in Rochdale, Cartwheel Arts at Peoples History Museum, Bury College and Aspire, Alexandra Hub.

Most recently we brought our show to Holmfirth Arts Festival, as part of the Big Free Weekend and had such a fun time!

We’ve had lots of great feedback from venues: 

Staff at Delamere School said: 

(DIY) actors are a role model to lots of our children and what they can achieve and take part in”

Complements our existing offer of using interactive sensory stories to access the curriculum. Adds to supporting all children to access theatre – something that we do in school, but there are barriers and not everyone can attend.”

Fabulous resources. Allowed for processing time with our children and young people. Provided good role models. Understood children’s needs and used your knowledge of this to support them to access the performance and build positive relationships.”

A group of adults and children, some using wheelchairs, pose together in a classroom setting. They are all wearing matching blue costumes decorated with green leaf-like fabric, possibly for a performance or themed activity. Some people are holding orange stuffed animals. The atmosphere is cheerful and inclusive, with a background showing a computer monitor, desks, and classroom materials.

 Staff from Aspire, Alexandra Hub shared:

We really enjoyed it here at Alexandra Hub and it was very sensory based which we loved.”

The actors were very confident which was great.”

The team at Aspire also answered a short Question and Answer survey and we loved their answers so here’s some below:

  • Q: What have been the impacts of having DIY in your organisation?  

Opened our eyes to more sensory activities and everyone felt included.

  • Q: How does this add to or complement existing opportunities available to your members/learners? 

Showing us anything is possible

  • Q: What did we do well? 

Great songs to join in with.

  • Q: What could we have done better? 

A longer performance.

  • Q: Was it important to you that we are a company of disabled performers? If so why? 

Very inclusive and shows everybody has abilities.

photo: scene from Hanging by a Thread. A woman is laughing at a brigh orange bird puppet which she is holding.

Gamechangers Acting for Health Project 

During Spring and Summer 2025, DIY Gamechangers  developed an exciting new initiative called ‘Acting for Health’. 

DIY Leaders worked with film-makers Hilary Easter-Jones and Ian Dean to co-create three short films on the themes of:

  • Speak to Me! – Effective communication
  • Listen to Us! – Lived Experience Leadership
  • DIY’s 5 Ways to Health and Wellbeing

A group of eight members of DIY Theatre Company stand and sit together in a performance space. Two women in wheelchairs are at the front, with six others standing behind them. They all wear matching red DIY Theatre t-shirts and look directly at the camera against a black backdrop. To the right of the image, bold orange text reads: “We can help you change things."

The first versions of the films were shared with the ‘Listening to People’ advocacy group at sessions on the 18th and 20th March. We discussed the films and listened to feedback which we used to work on the final versions of the films. During May 2025, the films were trialled with medical students from University of Manchester who also gave us useful feedback.  

The group then worked with graphic artist Sarah Bray, to co-create Training Resources that we will be able to use in training and partnership projects. These resources will enable health professionals to explore the issues highlighted in the films. 

We will be using the resources within our own training and advocacy work. We will also make them available to universities, advocacy groups and others seeking to reduce health inequalities, through improving knowledge and awareness amongst health professionals. 

We want to change the world and change perceptions – people shouldn’t just cast people aside – they should always listen to us! – Charlotte

Transforming Leadership Programme 

In March 2025, DIY Gamechangers Charlotte and Amy completed their national Transforming Leadership Programme for increasing employment for learning disabled and autistic professionals.  Transforming Leadership involved seven disability arts companies from around the UK, where fourteen trainee leaders upskilled, built a network, and learned to navigate work as learning disabled and autistic professionals.

We can see a group of 15 people posing for the camera. They are standing outside in a paved area by a seat and a tree with office type buildings behind. The group lok happy and some are doing the thumbs up sign. We can see that one has a suitcase and there are large bags on the ground

Amy followed a governance strand and Charlotte followed a directing strand. During the two-year programme, they both undertook 12-week placements at The Lowry. Charlotte worked with YES Drama to co-direct the opening scene of their performance. Amy worked with Emma Underwood, The Lowry’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager, to advise The Lowry about developing accessible formats for their policies.

In March 2025, the Transforming Leadership programme culminated in an Access All Areas: Making Work Accessible event which took place on Wednesday 12 March 2025 at The Lowry.

The event was co-hosted by DIY Leader Charlotte and covered learning from the Transforming Leadership Programme, navigating payments and benefits, Access to Work for learning disabled and autistic professionals, co-leadership of creative spaces and creative support. 

DIY artist and creative supporter Georgia Affonso also inputted to the event. Georgia and Charlotte discussed their experiences of the support mentor relationship, and how it worked for them.

Photo credit: Hannah Dingle

Work in Education Settings 

DIY’s work in Salford schools and colleges has gone from strength to strength.

Our partnership with Chatsworth Futures has developed steadily over the past few years as part of our aim to bring high-quality, accessible creative opportunities to children and young people with learning disabilities across Salford.

For the past two years, we’ve been working at Chatsworth Futures every Thursday during term time. Drama specialist Jade Williams and Gamechanger Chloe Crispin have been leading creative sessions withstudents from across the college – including two groups of Independence Learners and two groups of students preparing for employment.

Spring 2025: Exploring Feelings Through Creativity

In Spring 2025, Jade and Chloe supported learners to explore feelings and the Zones of Regulation in creative ways:

  • Independence Learners, developed sensory backdrops and began creating short stop-start animations using puppets and sounds. They enjoyed working together to imagine and build their own “zone worlds.”

  • Preparing for Employment Learners, expressed a wide range of emotions using their bodies and voices. They created “feelings people” and reflected on what makes them feel happy. Learners enjoyed interacting and performing together.

Emerging Leaders at Chatsworth Futures

A new and exciting development in Spring 2025 saw DIY’s Emerging Leaders sessions move to Chatsworth Futures.

This shift has enabled us to work with a new cohort of young people and offer leadership opportunities to existing Gamechangers, including Chloe.

A key part of this work is around supporting transition — helping students from Chatsworth High prepare for their move to Chatsworth Futures in the next academic year.

Summer 2025: Music and Cross-Artform Project at Chatsworth High

We’ve been involved in an exciting music-focused project at Chatsworth High School, commissioned by the Salford Creative Education Partnership.

We worked with music specialist Sarah Atter, in partnership with Music and Performing Arts Salford, to create a programme of music-based and cross-artform activities with two learner groups.

The aim of the project was to develop a creative framework that can support cross-curricular learning and progress in students’ Individual Learning Plans (ILPs).

We also offered CPD (Continuing Professional Development) to school staff and worked with filmmaker Hilary Easter-Jones to create a short film about the project. The film, and the frameworks developed, will be shared with other Salford schools in Autumn. 

Creative Community Education 

Throughout the year, we offered creative and adult education sessions, including Backstage courses at Pendleton College, weekly visual arts sessions and DIY BUDS sessions and an ongoing session at Aspire St George’s throughout the year.

We also moved our Visual Arts and DIY BUDS sessions to Salford Museum and Art Gallery which is proving a really great venue for our Thursday activities!

The Visual Arts sessions have focused on Learning about Salford Museum and Art Gallery – participants have been exploring the different exhibitions in the galleries and creating their own artwork based on their own observations.

 

DIY BUDS has been taking part in a Not Just For Laughs! project. Members shared their favourite comedy shows, characters and comedians. As well as creating comedy sketches and playing lots of fun comedy games.

Everyone had a great time exploring how comedy can help us explore things that annoy us. From bossy people to transport troubles, it’s good to have a space to share frustrations! Acting out these scenes, with tips from other members to make them even funnier, were a real highlight.

A group of people participating in a comedy and drama activity in a spacious hall. One woman sits with her hands covering her face, while others stand around, striking poses or gesturing, including a man in a red shirt and another in a black puffer jacket.

DIY’s strong partnership with Aspire St George’s continued across the year to ensure that adults with learning disabilities from across Salford are offered opportunities to take part in high quality creative activities.

In Autumn 2024, we ran a First Steps: Performance Skills course on Monday afternoons. Participants learned about performance through drama, movement, music, and poetry. Then during Spring 2025, we continued with More First Steps: Performance Skills, helping participants build on the skills they developed last year. Musician Joe Chesterman-March joined the team to lead music and song-making sessions alongside DIY Artist Georgia Affonso.

Three men in a creative session, seated and standing in front of a geometric-patterned wall. One man, wearing a black cap and jacket, sits on the left, smiling with his hands clasped. Another man, in a black T-shirt and grey trousers, sits on the right, leaning forward and smiling. A third man, wearing glasses and a navy shirt, stands behind them at a Yamaha keyboard, looking engaged. Two sheets of paper with notes are on the wooden floor in the foreground. A group of four individuals participating in an inclusive creative session. Two men are seated on chairs, one wearing a cap and the other glasses, leaning forward with their hands extended. A third man is engaging in the activity while seated to their right. A woman in a wheelchair, wearing a beige sweater and pink slippers, actively participates with outstretched hands. A keyboard is visible in the background against a geometric-patterned wall.

Looking forward to our 32nd year!

DIY is ready for a rest and are now enjoying our long Summer break but we will be back again in September will lots more activities. We have lots of exciting plans for the future, so look out for our news updates when we start back again in September!