Waters Edge Arts Ltd

Waters Edge Arts fuses participatory arts with high quality theatre. At its core is the belief that all the benefits of community based performance are best achieved by creating work that the participant can be proud of – performances with high production values that are entertaining to those who watch them. We work predominantly with non-actors, creating theatre by engaging participants in improvisation, image work, theatre games, singing, Forum Theatre and Stanislavski techniques. We create stories that come from the experiences and imaginations of the participants, whilst protecting their well-being through a sensitive and ethical approach. We work with community organisations & individuals to make entertaining and inspiring theatre. Having also worked for many years in mainstream and commercial theatre, we bring high production-value to our work. The participant is always at the core of what we do and we work together to devise the play. In our work, the process has equal status to the end product, whether that’s a small presentation for members of staff in an informal setting such as a group room, or in a full scale theatrical production at a professional venue. We work with people who might come under a social inclusion remit or who might be deemed hard to reach or for whom the arts might not be a natural choice. We work with groups and individuals who might be deemed as vulnerable, such as substance users or the homeless, asylum seekers or people with learning difficulties. We guide participants through a gentle and nurturing process, ensuring their well being at all times. We know from experience that taking a group through the process of making theatre and that sense of personal accomplishment when it has been achieved can have far-reaching and profound benefits to those involved. We believe that theatre has the potential to transform lives.