Stepping Out Theatre

Formed in 1997, based in Bristol, and with thirty productions to its credit, Stepping Out Theatre is the country’s leading mental health theatre group. It has produced a wide range of work on mental health themes and is open to people who have used mental health services and their allies.

The group runs drama, writing, dance and music workshops and also has members with many other skills. It offers mental health service users the opportunity to work alongside people with professional experience of writing, directing and acting, some of whom are service users themselves.

The company was awarded a grant from the Big Lottery Fund to fund a five year core programme of work running up to March 2013. The Development Worker post is also currently funded up to 2013 by a grant from the LankellyChase Foundation. Stepping Out Theatre is a registered charity.

Our Next Production is;

Waiting for Wilmot

Ian Trevelyan Wilmot

16th January 1959 - 11th October 2008

Click Here for information and a performance schedule.

Normal 2009

The Vagina Monologues 2009

A Unique Theatre Company

Stepping Out Theatre is run by a group of trustees which includes people who have used mental health services and people who have worked in mental health and the arts. Copies of our constitution, our latest accounts and Annual Report are available from the Stepping Out office.

Typical feedback from mental health service users who have taken part in our productions includes:

"Stepping Out has done me more good than all the doctors and all the tablets I ever took."
"I felt like I had been asleep for thirty years and then, doing the play, I came awake."

The Aims of the Group

1) To relieve the conditions of mental health service users through the medium of theatre.

2) To advance the education of the public about mental health in order to raise their awareness, by producing plays which deal with this issue and counter negative stereotypes of people with mental health problems.

3) To advance the education and training of mental health service users and their allies to develop their creative talents, build supportive networks and produce high quality theatre on mental health themes.

A Range of Work

The Company aims to bridge the gap between community theatre and the professional fringe. We produce three types of work;

* Large scale plays with mixed casts of service users and experienced actors.
* Cabaret evenings showcasing performance in many different media.
* Small cast studio productions on mental health themes involving experienced actors.

As well as full scale theatre productions, we can also provide;

* Shorter pieces as entertainment for conferences and social events. These can be tailored to suit an organisation's individual requirements.

* Training for mental health staff using roleplay.

Local Success, National Recognition

Stepping Out Theatre is a local success story but has also won prestigious national awards. It won a Focus on Mental Health Award and the Rosalind Caplin Award, both in recognition of its high quality and groundbreaking work in mental health. The group's productions have also twice come second in the national "Best Event - World Mental Health Day" Competition.

Website last updated : 21st February 2010

Registered Charity Number ; 1117912