Arts, Culture & Heritage Health & Wellbeing 2023
Mortal Fools

Mortal Fools Year in Review 2022–2023

Mortal Fools is a Northumberland-based participatory arts charity working with young people facing challenges including mental health difficulties, care experience and SEND, using co-created theatre and arts as a tool for wellbeing, voice and leadership. In 2022/23 it engaged 1,316 young people, delivered 392 weekly sessions, produced three large-scale touring shows and achieved 92 Arts Awards. The Melva digital mental health programme reached 640 young people in schools, and the CONNECT training programme engaged 952 participants from the public, private and cultural sectors. In April 2023 Mortal Fools joined Arts Council England's National Portfolio and secured multi-year investment from Kavli Trust.

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📋About

Mortal Fools Youth Theatre groups (Tyne Valley and new Ashington base); Ensemble Young Company producing and touring co-created theatre; Young Leaders programme (bi-weekly sessions with 9 young people); co-created large-scale productions (Flux, Come On In, Sparked); Melva digital mental health programme for ages 7-11; Worrit Warriors self-harm intervention in schools; CONNECT creative training for businesses and organisations; school creative intervention residencies; National Citizen Service sessions; outdoor activities and community events; DofE support; young people as paid practitioners and board trustees Custom geography from upload: Northumberland and North East England, UK (Ashington, Tyne Valley, Newcastle)

📊Key Metrics

1,316 young people engaged; 392 weekly sessions delivered to 237 young people in Youth Theatre, school and youth settings; 102 core Youth Theatre members Key Metric 1
51 CONNECT training interventions delivered to 952 training participants from organisations including Newcastle University, NHS, National Trust and Ryder Architecture Key Metric 2
640 young people engaged with Melva digital mental health programme in academic year 22/23; 16 primary schools running Worrit Warriors counselling intervention using Melva; 5,123 digital audience members; digital content reached 375,593 people Key Metric 3

✅Key Outcomes

  • 2 young leaders transitioned into paid Assistant Practitioner roles; 2 young leaders joined Mortal Fools Board as trustees; 92 Arts Awards achieved across Youth Theatre and Young Leaders
  • Joined Arts Council England National Portfolio in April 2023; secured multi-year investment from Kavli Trust in August 2022; nominated for North East Charity Award 2022 and National Diversity Award 2023
  • 3 young leaders participated in National Youth Violence Peer Action Collective with Youth Focus NE, presenting social action at Baltic arts centre; 23 freelance professionals given paid work; 52 North East small businesses worked with or purchased from

📍Geography

North East

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