Celebrating a Cast Community Event: Theatre, Talk & Afternoon Tea!

Today was a good day, today we made progress

The giant paper Big Ben cut out, the paint pens and the Union Jack cocktail sticks have been lost in the post! One could be forgiven that disaster had struck, and that the Cast Community Afternoon Tea was destined for disaster!  But (rather unsurprisingly) it turns out that it was the people that made the magic happen, not the props, not the stationary, not even the Union Jack cocktail sticks, but a room full of energetic, purposeful and inspirational community leads and change makers for who came together in Cast’s Dance Space on Wednesday 5^th March 2025 to discuss Creative Health and what that means to Doncaster communities, and what direction of travel we wish to go.

Together we shared ideas, experiences, and projects (and an afternoon tea), with the old adage in Community work that it’s tea and biscuits that bring people together, being as true as ever.   Our glue that day, was the passion, hard work and commitment that everyone in that room had for supporting and improving the wellbeing of Doncaster residents and communities.

We were a diverse group of 51 people a range of ages, lived and professional experience of Creative Health and community work, with common ground on the recognition that the role creativity plays to increase and health and wellbeing.  

The event was funded by an audience development grant from Theatre Nation Partnerships, linked to the touring production of Handbagged.  We began with a welcome by Cast’s Director Deborah Rees, followed by Chris Dayson introducing and exploring what Creative Health is and the work of the UKRI-funded Creative Health Board project in Doncaster, as well as the wider context for Creative Health in the UK and region.

At Cast, Doncaster communities are at the heart of theatre and our creative Participation work, so three presentations on our community work were key to the event (see below):

• The role and value of intergenerational theatre with the chair of Doncaster People’s Theatre’s Community Board.
• An exploration of Cast’s Community Ambassadors featuring our three Community Ambassadors.
• An introduction to Cast Youth Theatre with four of our young members expressing the value and impact of the Youth Theatre on their lives both within and beyond the theatre

We were so proud of community and Youth Theatre members who played a key role in these presentations, sharing their experiences of the work and Creative Health to the rapt audience.  Their contributions were integral to creating an authentic community event, that pivoted around Doncaster’s communities and the positive role of Creative Health to improve the lives and wellbeing for residents and communities.

Cast’s Operation Manager spoke about the access provision at Cast and we shared highlights from Cast’s season.  Not to mention an entertaining short film by Dave Cartwright, Doncaster’s Creative Health Connector, the person to speak to if you want to get connected in with Creative Health in Doncaster either as a Health Professional or a Community Lead.

As mentioned above, it was pivotal for this event to be embedded in Doncaster communities, and to have the opportunities for community groups and creative health professionals to interact through facilitated networking (and we choose to theme this around the production of Handbagged). On arrival, each participant was given a golden envelope, and asked not to open it. Then, at the centre of the event, everyone was invited to open their envelope.

Inside each envelope were ballot papers, and a paper handbag. Attendees were asked to find fellow attendees with handbags that matched their own, and then discuss the questions on the back of their handbags.

The questions were a mix of ice breakers (such as “Best song to dance around your handbags to?” or “Have you ever owned a bumbag – tell the table about it?”) and then delved into community and creative health and what that meant with questions such as “What does Creative Health mean to you, and your organisation?”, “What does the term communities, mean to you and your organisation?” and “How can you develop your own Creative Health offer within your organisations?”.

Participants were also asked to complete two ballot papers and post these into the boxes on their tables: on one we asked for feedback about what they would like to see for Doncaster Communities, and on the other we asked them to write their own ballot papers and have the freedom to express what Creative Health provision they would like to see.

Finally, we were then joined by 44 members of Doncaster People’s Theatre (Cast’s intergenerational theatre company) for an informal reception, and a trip to watch Handbagged in the Main Space at Cast.

It was wonderful to see the Dance Space alive and buzzing with the passionate and inspirational conversation, and an honour to be able to provide a space and forum for these conversations and connections to take place. Creating time and space for communities to unite and a forum for the elixir of ideas and conversations to take place and form, is part of the essential role creative community assets can play to support and enrich our local communities leading to social change and impact in our region.

This is the second year Cast has hosted a community event such as this, the first in which we worked together with those of lived experience of creative health to disseminate and discuss our shared learning and experiences, and it won’t be the last.

For further information about this event and those involved, click these expandable sections…

Represented organisations and communities

• Yorkshire Adoption Agency
• Doncaster Council (Early Years Prevention Service)
• Sheffield Hallam (Creative Health Boards project lead)
• Campsall Art Group
• Doncaster Family Hubs
• Denaby Community Library
• Denaby pag (Conisbrough & Denaby Positive Activities Group)
• Age UK Doncaster
• Changing Lives
• Cast Community Board Chair
• Cast Ambassadors
• Doncaster Conversation Club
• Cast
• The Performance Ensemble
• Live Exclusive
• Equal Equality
• Pioneer Social Enterprise Ltd
• darts
• DWP
• People Focused Group
• Public Health
• Doncaster Mind
• South Yorkshire Housing Association
• Harrogate Theatre
• City of Doncaster Council
• World women Wellbeing CIC
• DICE Enterprise
• Theatre Squad UK
• Central Family
• Young People’s Action Group

Talks and presentations

• Doncaster People’s Theatre: an evolution of intergenerational community work / PowerPoint
• Cast Community Ambassador Programme – A Case Study in Community Empowerment /PowerPoint
• Creative Health and Young People: Cast Youth Theatre

Creative health suggestions and feedback from attendees

 

• Creative arts around smoking and vaping prevention for young people.
• Outreach in communities.
• Community ensemble performance.
• Work with more community drama groups of all abilities (DICE).
• Bringing creative activities into communities for free.
• Theatre arts and crafts – set making, helping to create props, creative writing, scripts, dialogue, use of AI.
• Podcast project was interesting to capture stories of older people (partnership with AGE UK).
• Workshops in the community to encourage those interested in performing but are nervous about the first steps.
• Creating their own stories (written) storytelling through media.
• Dance On, specifically for men, with male and female teachers.
• Incorporating local mining history.
• Simple street community performances in GP grounds.
• Larger community performances e.g flash mob performances in community spaces.
• Opportunities for more professional connections e’g professional led workshops.
• Anything that breaks down barriers
• Community art project – something gigantic
• Poetry, writing and opportunity to read to the public.
• Safe spaces for adult-oriented entertainment and expression (i.e. mature, spicy, comedic – not x rated).
• Working with job centre to provide work experience and work trials for unemployed young people.
• Comedy Club.
• Community Cohesion.
• Mixing those seeking sanctuary with the communities they live in, talk to me about some funding.
• Outreach – Denaby is super deprived.
• Keep doing what you are doing, it all sounds amazing and done with so much care.
• Open Air Theatre weekends.

Key contacts

• Cast’s Head of Participation: sarah@castindoncaster.com
• Cast’s Community Engagement Manager: nicola@castindoncaster.com
• Doncaster’s Creative Health Connector: david@wearedarts.org.uk

All photographs: Cast, Doncaster