A list of companies, orgs, resources
A list to help you discover other orgs, companies, and resources that you may find useful, or want to be aware of.
Many (but not all) of the orgs/resources on this list are ones we know well and/or have worked with, or use/recommend regularly. However, inclusion on this list is not an indication of affiliation, or an unfettered endorsement. It’s a pointer to the fact that these organisations & resources exist, and either have something in common with us, and/or do something we think is good.
We haven’t included our favourite artists or venues here, because the list would be endless! If you follow us on social media, listen to our podcast, or read our blog, you’ll soon have our fave people and places on your radar.
We’ve loosely categorised everything for navigation, but there's some crossover between areas (producing companies who also do great advocacy/community work; theatre companies who also make films, etc).
Groups
Organisations, collectives, companies, and networks dedicated to making theatre & performing arts more equal, representative, fairer and accessible through campaigning, lobbying, teaching, mentoring, researching, facilitating, creating opportunities, making space, and building community.
Act For Change
Campaign for better representation across the live and recorded arts.
A Good Night Out Reading Group
A monthly reading group that discusses topics of relevance to socialist theatre workers.
Arts Emergency
Help young people get a fair start in the arts and humanities.
BEATS
Advocacy organisation founded by British East and South East Asians working in the Theatre and Screen industry.
Black Ticket Project
Creating cultural access points for Black young people across England.
Black Womxn In Theatre
Hosting and holding spaces and campaigning for long-lasting sector changes.
Blacktress
Grassroots network and support group for self-defined black/mixed race womxn actors of the African diaspora.
Brighton People's Theatre
Shining a spotlight on the stories that created the people of Brighton.
Burn Bright
Driving positive change for writers who identify as women in theatre.
ERA 50:50
Campaigning for 50/50 gender balance on British stage & screen.
Freelancers Make Theatre Work
A community for self-employed & freelance workers from all areas of theatre, opera & live performance.
Fringe of Colour
Dedicated to supporting Black people & People of Colour at arts festivals in Scotland & beyond.
Funny Women
Amplifying female voices through comedy.
Inc Arts
Championing creative, contractual & economic rights of the UK's African, Asian, Caribbean & ethnically diverse arts sector workforce.
MAIA
Group of people & projects. Building, investing in & making things for justice. Programmes, art, spaces, support, & infrastructure - based in Birmingham, UK.
Mainspring Arts
Dedicated to increasing neurodiversity in the arts through workshops, mentoring, producing publications, performances & showcases.
MENA Arts
UK-based not-for-profit Arts organisation for professionals who work in Live & Recorded Arts and are connected to the Middle East, North Africa or the surrounding area.
Migrants In Culture
Organising to create the conditions of safety, agency and solidarity in the culture sector for migrants, people of colour and all others impacted by the UK’s immigration regime.
Migrants In Theatre
a grassroots movement to buoy representation and support for migrant theatre artists living in the UK
The Mono Box
Workshop programme & play collection. Responsive, continual training and community.
PiPA
Promote best practice employment & support for parents & carers in the performing arts sector.
Power Play
Creating platforms for women to express their lived experiences.
Quiplash
Taking space for queer crips (quips), furthering queer crip performance, queering accessibility, and fucking shit up.
Raze Collective
Charity established to support, develop and nurture queer performance in the UK.
Rumah Khai
Re-imagining a space for artists from the various Asian diasporas in Britain to integrate & collaborate.
Something To Aim For
Charity devoted to supporting public health and (re)building social fabric by harnessing the playfulness and innovation of the creative industries.
Sour Lemons
Dismantling systemic racism in the arts and culture sector.
Sphinx Theatre
Promoting, advocating and inspiring women in the arts through productions, conferences and research.
Theatre Queers
A regular meet up for queer, trans, non-binary & GNC folks in theatre.
The Queer House
Artists’ agency and producing house for LGBTIQ+ actors, writers and makers.
Tonic Theatre
Supporting the arts and cultural sector to achieve greater equality, diversity and inclusion.
Working Class Artists Group
33 working class artists and producers in the UK. Volunteer-led since 2018.
Unions
Join a union! Find out which one is recognised in your workplace, or join one of these.
Artists Union
Workers in visual art, applied arts, socially engaged art, moving image, sound and performance.
BECTU
Staff and freelancers working non-performance jobs in broadcasting, entertainment, cinema & theatre - including backstage and front of house theatre workers.
Equity
Actors, singers, dancers, designers, directors, stage managers, puppeteers, comedians, voice artists, and variety performers.
Musicians Union
Employed and self-employed musicians working in every area of the UK music industry, including music education.
PCS Culture Group
Workers in the UK’s museums, libraries, galleries, heritage, cultural & sport institutions.
Stage Directors UK
Representing UK Directors, Choreographers and Movement Directors
UVW DCW
Grassroots trade union of low paid, migrant & precarious workers.
Anyone who considers themselves a cultural worker is welcome to join UVW-DCW.
Writers Guild
Writers in TV, film, theatre, radio, books, comedy, poetry, animation and video games.
Producing Companies
Companies & groups making work on stage that we like. Theatre, live art, cabaret, comedy. If we see these names on a poster, consider our interest peaked!
Breach Theatre
Devising company making politically engaged, formally exploratory shows that blend drama and documentary.
Broccoli Arts
Presenting and nurturing work by/for/about lesbian, bisexual and queer women across stage and page.
Chinese Arts Now
Produce and present to the public, work that explores Chinese themes, stories and art forms, and work that blends Chinese and other contemporary art forms.
Clean Break
Women’s theatre company changing lives and changing minds – on stage, in prison and in the community.
Damsel Productions
London-based theatre company bringing together women artists, directors, designers & producers to develop & produce scripts by women.
Deafinitely Theatre
The first deaf launched and deaf led professional theatre company in the UK producing bilingual theatre in BSL and spoken english.
Extant
Professional performing arts company of visually impaired artists and theatre practitioners, producing touring productions and delivering training regionally and internationally.
Foc It Up Comedy
Celebrating & centering comedians of colo(u)r who aren't cis men unapologetically.
Fuel Theatre
Producing fresh work for adventurous people by inspiring artists. Supporting and stimulating artists to develop their own ideas through provocation and challenge.
Futures Theatre
New writing company producing work that amplifies women’s voices and creates a space for change.
Graeae
Placing Deaf and disabled actors centre stage and challenging preconceptions.
Improbable
Improvisers, theatre makers and conversation facilitators.
In Bed With My Brother
Performance trio with a ‘fun’ website that makes it hard to find a summary sentence to copy, but we like their work.
LUNG Theatre
A national, verbatim theatre company. Campaigning for hidden voices to be heard.
Milk Presents
Enable people to queer their world through theatre, performance, film, audio-plays, workshops, club nights, symposiums, book groups and more.
Nouveau Riche
Create and nurture new writing that is thought provoking, challenging and culturally inclusive.
Paines Plough
Find, create and tour powerful new stories, performing them wherever you are.
Pecs Drag Kings
All-female/non-binary theatre and cabaret company, creating shows for the LGBTQ+ community since 2013.
RashDash
A company of performers, musicians and makers.
Sh!t Theatre
Performance Art duo exploring the political, the personal and the down-right perverted.
Shotgun Carousel
London-based, queer led theatrical entertainment company and multi-disciplinary performance collective.
Talawa
Championing Black Excellence in theatre; nurturing talent in emerging and established artists of African or Caribbean heritage and telling inspirational and passionate stories.
The Bitten Peach
Pan-Asian cabaret collective of performers of Asian descent working in a variety of nightlife performance genres, including drag, burlesque, dance, comedy, music, and circus.
The Cocoa Butter Club
Showcasing and celebrating Performers of Colour within cabaret with regular events
The LOL Word
Platforming queer women & non-binary comedians.
The Enby Show
Choatic gender defiant cabaret collective
The Thelmas
Dedicated to the promotion and development of female writers and theatre makers.
The Upsetters
Make theatre written, directed and performed by artists of colour.
Wacky Racists
Comedy, drag & cabaret shows platforming performers of colour.
Wotever World
Creating platforms & stages for LGBTIQA+ voices to be heard & shared.
Helpful info / newsletters / spreadsheets
Useful free resources for anyone working or aspiring to work in the arts:
Alternative Funds to the Arts Council list by Beth Sitek
Arts Admin e-digest weekly arts jobs & opportunities
Chris Sonnex’s list of Black Creatives
Daisy Hale's workshop notes including sessions on ACE DYCP funding
Linda Bloomfield's #OpportunityTuesday on Twitter every Tuesday
Rafia Hussain's resources including Arts Council & ‘How I Work’ template
REcreate Agency services bid writing, access support, dramaturgy & more
The Uncultured including Arts Council templates & access support
The White Pube's Library of successful funding applications
Non-theatrey stuff we like
Just stuff we support, like, enjoy & admire outside the world of “theatre & performance”.
Alison Bechdel
The original & best! Buy & read all her stuff!
Attitude is Everything
Improves Deaf and disabled people's access to live music, by working in partnership with audiences, artists and the music industry.
Bechdel Test Fest
The Bechdel Test Fest is an ongoing screening collective who present films with a positive representation for women in film.
Dream Nails
Punk band formed by feminist activists, mixing political rage with queer joy.
Exist Loudly
Creating spaces of joy, community and care for Black LGBTQ+ youth through creative intervention.
Fringe! Film Festival
A boundary-pushing mix of film, art, & parties rooted in London’s queer creative community.
Free2B
London based community organisation supporting LGBTQ+ young people and their parents.
Fun Palaces
Supports local people to co-create their own cultural and community events, sharing and celebrating the genius in everyone.
Gal Pals
A queer dance party, hailing from Brighton and London, playing music exclusively by women.
Gay's The Word
The UK's oldest LGBT bookshop and a touchstone for the broader LGBT community.
Gendered Intelligence
Charity that works to increase understanding of gender diversity and improve the lives of trans people.
LGBT Consortium
Supports LGBT+ Groups and Organisations for Stronger LGBT+ Communities.
Queer House Party
DJ collective, community platform and queer party.
Sisters Uncut
Taking direct action for domestic violence services.
SWARM Collective
Campaign for the rights and safety of everyone who sells sexual services. Organising skill-shares and support meet-ups just for sex workers, as well as public events.
Unicorn Nights
LGBTQ+ film events, at the Prince Charles Cinema Leicester Square, and beyond.
The Vagina Museum
The world's first bricks and mortar museum about the gynaecological anatomy.