Finding the courage to be courageous: Peterborough Culture Forum

September’s Culture Forum session took us on an unexpected adventure - quite literally inspired by Bilbo Baggins himself. The first of Rose Croft's three sessions, From Comfort to Bravery, explored the delicate balance between feeling safe enough to create and finding the courage to step beyond our comfort zones.

The space prioritised comfort: decorated tables and a healthy dose of carbs met us in Peterborough Museum, in true spirit of The Shire. Discussions revealed a common truth: feeling safe to create requires more than just physical space. Some people described a need for time without pressure, freedom from judgment, and often the presence of supportive people who understand our creative journey. Others spoke of quiet studios, trusted art classes, and dedicated creative time as essential ingredients for their artistic confidence.

The group shared moments when creativity felt impossible. We spoke of times when external pressures, fear of judgment, or simply not having the right environment made artistic expression feel too risky. Time constraints emerged as a common creativity killer, along with the weight of others' expectations and the fear of not being "good enough." Recognising what makes us feel unsafe in our creative practise, enables us to actively work to change those conditions.

The magic happened when we explored what helps us transition from unsafe to safe - and then from safe to brave. We shared our strategies: supportive art classes, encouraging friends, dedicated creative time, and the gradual building of confidence through practice. Stories emerged of first open mic performances, career changes for mental health, joining new creative groups, and the monumental act of showing work publicly for the first time. Bavery isn't always grand gestures - sometimes it's just the courage to keep going, to maintain momentum when fear creeps in.

Together, we reinforced that creative bravery isn't about dramatic leaps - it's about recognising and rewarding ourselves for small steps forward. Whether that's sharing work with a friend, trying a new medium, or simply setting aside dedicated creative time, each act of courage builds toward the next.

Attendees:

·      Kate Hall, Jumped Up Theatre

·      Rose Croft, artist and this session’s facilitator

·      Sam Smith, Jumped Up Theatre

·      Jen Roberts, Jumped Up Theatre

·      Phillipa Bradbury, artist/researcher

·      Hilary Steele, poet

·      Pip Jamie Gardner

·      Ann Bellamy, artist

·      Yasmine Bradley

·      Caroline Stone

·      Kelly Jesus

·      Asher Walker

·      Emily Bowers

·      John Clark

·      Anna Gosh

·      Jen Walker

Chaos of Adolescence - Reflections on seeing The Chaos That Has Been And Will No Doubt Return at Southwark Playhouse

On Saturday 6th September, the Jumped Up team travelled with a group of young people to London to see The Chaos That Has Been And Will No Doubt Return at Southwark Playhouse, ahead of its arrival at Peterborough College on 23rd October. We wanted to experience the show for ourselves: it’s hard to convince others a play is worth seeing if you don’t yet know why. Within minutes of the performance beginning, we understood.

Louise Garwood, Freshtah Nabizadah, Jen Roberts, Emily Steele-Dias, Jen Ramm, Sam Smith

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“Although the tension in the conflict was prevalent, it was not a moody play. It was entertaining and wholesome, especially in how it presented male friendships.”

— Freshtah Nabizadah

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In Chaos, teenagers guide us through their hometown of Luton: bedrooms, bus stops, the corner shop where they might just get served, and finally the ‘house party of the year’ - the birthday of the ‘pengest girl in Luton,’ Lakesha. The party unravels, and suddenly we feel the discomfort of being caught between childhood and adulthood: ready to feel grown-up, but not yet equipped to handle grown-up consequences.

The play moves effortlessly between comedy and sincerity. One moment we’re laughing while young people persuade strangers to buy them alcohol; the next, we’re swept up in the rush of a first kiss. Threaded through are glimpses of politics creeping into young lives: the fear of debt, or the difficulty of dreaming about a future when daily survival already feels overwhelming.

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“The characters take pride in the vibrancy of their hometown, referring fondly to the bossman who runs the corner shop, or the different cultural communities that bring colour and life to their streets. Chaos underscores the idea that home is what you make of it.”

— Jen Ramm

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Chaos is also a masterclass in multiroling. Three actors embody more characters than you can count, supported by subtle flickers of light and sound, but carried above all by their performances. Each brings such conviction that no single member of the ensemble overshadows the others. One moment that has stayed with me comes near the end: a teenager speaks with satisfaction about the working-class roots of the Lutonian accent, and the words radiate palpable pride.

I thought of my own hometown. Did you know Rochdale holds the Guinness World Record for the largest pancake ever made? In 1994, the town hall car park was closed so the co-operative movement could make a three-tonne pancake, 15 metres wide. I grew up believing the co-op just meant the supermarket, but the co-operative movement was founded in Rochdale in 1844 by people who believed in working together - one that now has 17 million members. Pride in the run down hometown where you grew up wanes, I’ve found, but it also sharpens with distance. We meet the young people in Chaos before they are old enough or wise enough to work that out for themselves.

Freshtah Nabizadah, Jen Ramm, Louise Garwood, Emily Steele-Dias, Jen Roberts

We all remember those magic summers on the edge of adulthood, and Chaos captures that pulse of teenage, woven through with stories that could come from any small town. It is sharp in showing how fear can sour into rage, but it leaves us with something more enduring: a sense of optimism. Your beginnings don’t have to dictate your future - and you don’t need to throw them away, either.

If you’ve ever felt that push and pull between where you’re from and where you’re going, you’ll find something in Chaos. Don’t miss it at Peterborough College on Thursday 23rd October.

Fresh Perspectives on Climate and Creativity: TRASHedy at the Key Theatre

Plays about the environment can be off-putting for many audiences – no-one wants to feel preached to, or shamed, or reminded of their own shortcomings when it comes to environmental impact. TRASHedy was devised over a decade ago with young people in mind, so the balance between message and engagement has been part of its design from the start. Created by German company performing:group, the show has toured internationally for more than ten years - its entire set fitting into a single suitcase. It remains sharp, relevant, and confidently staged. The production makes the most of its intentionally compact setup: animations are projected onto a screen made of taped-together paper sheets, and performers Lena Marie Kaiser and Daniel Mathéus use every inch of the space - often breaking the fourth wall to draw the audience in.

TRASHedy first caught our attention when Louise Garwood attended the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival on behalf of Jumped Up Theatre. She was struck by its energy, wit and clarity - and knew it had something important to say to young people in Peterborough. In partnership with Landmark Theatres, we were able to bring the show to The Key Theatre. TRASHedy is the first time Jumped Up Theatre has hosted an international tour, and the show became the centrepiece of a two-day programme exploring environmental issues through creativity and conversation - one day for the public, and one specially designed for students from Thomas Deacon Academy. Alongside the performance, pre-show workshops were held for young people led by PECT, Art Pop-Up and our very own New Creatives Youth Programme. After the show, the cast joined a Q&A open to all audience members who wanted to continue the conversation.

Here’s a closer look at what we did, who we worked with, and what it meant to the people who took part.

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Young Audiences

“You surprised me in the best way possible”

— TDA student

“I LOVED THIS, WELL DONE!!”

— TDA student

On Monday 12th May, we invited students from Thomas Deacon Academy to the Key Theatre for a morning of creative workshops and conversations. For many, it was a first experience of this kind of theatre, and their responses were full of energy and enthusiasm.

“I’ve had so many students come and say they really enjoyed the show and workshops. The Q&A sparked so many conversations around buying power and consumerism in general and it really felt let a special moment for the students to talk to the cast. Such a fantastic morning, thank you for carving memories!”

— Kelly Joiner, Community Engagement Lead at Thomas Deacon Academy

A mixed group of young people and adults playing a recycling game, sorting objects into different categories.

New Creatives

As part of our ongoing participation programme, this year’s New Creatives Youth Programme cohort has been exploring the environment and sustainability through devised performance and creative workshops. Their work aligned naturally with TRASHedy, and they led pre-show sessions for other young people attending the event.

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Young Reviewers

Young people are experts in their own experiences. They know what matters to them, what sparks their interest, and what makes theatre feel relevant. They understand better than anyone what speaks to their generation - which is exactly why we wanted to hear from them.

Here’s a snapshot of what they had to say:

“Throughout the play, I became mindful of what I spend my money on, and the little ways I can contribute to protect my environment.”

— Maleeha Iqbal

“It’s relatively easy to relax in a theatre, laugh, and forget all of your worries for a while, but shows like TRASHedy carry a message about our world that is too powerful to be glossed over; its meaning stayed with me, even after I’d walked out of The Key Theatre doors.”

— Jennifer Ramm

“TRASHedy allowed me to think personally and politically. It made me consider how personal responsibility has an impact on consumer culture, in a technological, political, environmental and media-saturated society.”

— Louisa Cox

Left to right: Martin Rascher, Marie-Lena Kaiser, Daniel Mathéus from performing:group with Jumped Up Theatre’s kate hall at the post show q&a

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General Public

The public performance of TRASHedy sparked a strong response from audiences, who connected not only with the environmental themes, but with the precision, skill and originality of the performance itself, and reflected afterwards that they had an appetite for more socially engaged theatre here in Peterborough.

Reactions from the audience speak for themselves:

“Things like this are great for Peterborough”

“This was one of a kind!”

“The mixture of craft + media really brought the facts to life – won’t ever forget it”

“Loved watching the product of so much careful thought mixed with creativity”

“I need to do more research on products to buy”

“Challenged my perception of what theatre is”

“Fantastic show, clear message”

“I’d just like to see more shows like this here. No critiques”

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TRASHedy revealed a growing appetite in Peterborough for bold, thoughtful, and socially conscious work. At Jumped Up Theatre, we believe in the power of live theatre to shift perspectives, build connections, and spark change. Our mission is rooted in creating opportunities for people across the city to make, enjoy and celebrate culture as a catalyst for a more connected, empowered community. As we continue to bring ambitious work like TRASHedy to Peterborough, we remain committed to changing the city by changing the stories it tells.

Sheila Ochojska: New Creatives Arts Supplies and First Concert

I am very thankful for receiving this money from this wonderful experience. I am deeply honoured and grateful for your generous support.

This bursary made a significant difference and I was saving up money for this lovely Lana Del Ray concert for months but it never seemed enough. Finally that I was able to pay for the ticket I had some money leftover which was incredible!

It made a grand change in my studies as I was able to buy packs of flashcards for my uncreative lessons. I was able to prepare for PPE's without using some other material that would most likely not hold up or even use other methods that I'm not quite fond of.

For my adored creative side of my school timetable I have gotten; oil pastels, paintbrushes and water colours. With this new equipment I'm able to create more pieces and have fun with the new oil pastel colours that don't turn brown. I don't have many Medias at home so mostly I borrowed things, which weren't the best quality, from school. I was already able to expand the variety of pieces I was able to produce.

The main purchase was the Lana Del Ray tickets. I have been her fan since I could remember her aesthetic and the way her music just sounds makes me feel very feminine. Her songs are like cinematic dreams-lush, melancholic and drenched in emotion. They way her music blends across from vintage Americana and modern sadness creates a melody both nostalgic and timeless.

Which this leaves me to thank you again as I am finally able to experience the dream of going to a concert and it being Lana's.

Simona Gorochova: New Creatives & Concerts

I received a bursary after I took part in the new creatives’ artist selection process, I was so delighted and beyond grateful to have been given so many opportunities during this ongoing program. I decided to use this money for a Lana Del Rey concert ticket at Wembley Stadium. I have chosen this because although I love listening to many music artists, Lana Del Rey is my number one artist, and her songs are beautiful and enchanting. As a general person, I do not have amazing memory however the lyrics of so many of her songs are embedded in my brain. Lana Del Rey is like a poet, the lyrics and beat of her songs create images that pull you in as though you are experiencing it all yourself. I hope to hear many of her songs at the concert, such as:

Cherry blossom - this sounds like a walk, in fields of flowers in the misty fog of the morning.

California – this reminds me of motorcycles driving in old Hollywood as palm trees surround it.

Thunder – like thin curtains that blow in the wind of a country farmhouse.

I could continue listing her songs and the tranquil images they create; however, I will not bore you. I am not using my bursary for a noble or charitable cause but as a form of expression. I adore Lana Del Rey and I have never gotten the chance to attend any of her previous concerts, but I now have the opportunity to do so and am eagerly awaiting.

Louisa Cox: Safe Soulmates, The Great Gatsby and Website Content Creation

As part of my work as a ‘New Creative’ for Jumped Up Theatre (2024–25), I received a bursary for my involvement in the artist selection process. As a young person in the Peterborough area, I am passionate about arts and inclusion for young people. I have chosen to split the money between three projects which I believe will enhance opportunities for young people in Peterborough.

I currently volunteer for Safe Soulmates, a Peterborough and Cambridgeshire-based organisation that combats loneliness and isolation for neurodivergent and disabled adults. I am in the process of creating an online Zoom Creative Writing group for this community. Therefore, the first project I will fund is the development of this group. I anticipate using some of the bursary for future group activities, such as creative exercises or potential guest speakers. As a university student studying Psychosocial Studies, I am deeply committed to inclusion and accessibility. I’m excited to use part of the bursary in collaboration with Safe Soulmates to provide disabled and neurodivergent adults with access to creative writing workshops.

Furthermore, I plan to use part of the bursary to attend The Great Gatsby musical in London this spring. I currently review various theatre productions in Peterborough and East Anglia for Harry’s Theatre Life, and I hope to continue creating social content, blogs, and articles for events I attend. While I write for Harry’s Theatre Life, I am also working on launching my own website to showcase my portfolio. After attending The Great Gatsby, I aim to publish my first independent review and begin regularly updating my own theatre and arts content site. I believe The Great Gatsby is the perfect production to launch my blog, and I look forward to experiencing the show with peers—other young people in Peterborough who rarely get to attend theatre due to financial barriers. This bursary allows us to share the experience and generate meaningful creative content around it.

I am grateful to have received this bursary. Splitting it between Safe Soulmates and my personal projects allows me to support a range of initiatives that benefit different people across Peterborough. I look forward to launching the writing group, attending The Great Gatsby, and building my theatre portfolio and website. I also hope to collaborate with other young creatives in Peterborough, giving them the opportunity to volunteer their skills, enhance their creativity, and contribute to my content creation journey.

Thank you to Jumped Up Theatre for the opportunity to be a ‘New Creative’. This experience has given me the confidence, skills, and support to bring these three projects to life.

Chiara Hamilton: Jumped-Up Theatre, New Creatives and the funding that I received.

I applied and got accepted in the New Creatives programme, Jumped-up theatre last year (2024) in October. New Creatives is a creative programme for 16-25 year olds. The arty theatre programme includes workshops, masterclasses and trips related to art, performance and comedy with the themed topic of 'Climate Change'.

From October to now, we have participated in many workshops and comedy sessions. In these, we have learnt about improvisation, acting, comedy and storytelling. As well as learning the impacts of climate change; from the climate change cycle to litter picking, fossil fuels, renewable energy and wild weather. As a group, we have learnt about a diverse range of climate change topics as well as learning the facts, details and specifics of it also.

In April 2025 the New Creatives group are going to do a day of activities relating to the theme of climate change to secondary school children. Such as picking up litter, doing a dance of the climate change cycle and a quiz game show. We hope to make it fun for children but also that they can get something out of it and learn something from the day.

The new creatives were also given funding to help with our art endeavours. With the small pot of money, I decided to use it for art books to help aid my progression and improvement as well as growth in the creative arts. This funding I used specifically for a number of stylized colourful illustration books. I found these books online on an art website called 3dtotal shop which has a number of different bespoke art books from well known and well respected illustrators and digital artists. The books are varied and have different topics in each of them. At the end of this page are the images of the cover, inside and some details as well as a review of the art books that I got.

One of the books that I purchased is called sketch every day, Simone Grunewald. This book has many 'how to draw' pages and sketches on step by step processes on how to draw character design, for example. Another book, is titled 'How to become a children's illustrator'. This has detailed biographies on illustrators and how they got to where they are now, (as a child's illustrator), detailing the steps that got them there. This includes being self taught or taught in art illustration techniques, the world of illustration from style of book covers to target audience of children and suitability for different age ranges covers of books. I found this book in particular fascinating because I can learn so much, absorb a lot and use the book for creative advice and motivation in illustration.

The funding I received has helped me with my finances for art supplies and art resources. I could buy books and put the money to one side to fund art materials. Having this funding to buy creative things has made me realise how much I can invest in art and how much I need to invest. As well as, learning about costs, quality of materials, quantity of substances and finding the creative resources. Purchasing and having art books that cover fantasy, drawing from the imagination and mythical creatures has helped me get excited about reading and learning about different artists and artworks. It has allowed myself as an artist, to have the possibility of growing in my arts knowledge and skills but also to have a growth mindset and to keep going and finding new possibilities, opportunities and creative resources for my creative journey.

Below, are some images of the art book covers, titles and the insides of them of the books that I purchased as well. This funding, has been a good fortune towards my art journey and career and I cannot wait to read more of these books and go further with the new creatives art project with more events and activities with Jumped-Up theatre.