Supporting your health and wellbeing through creativity

Our organisation collaborates with youth leaders, marginalised communities, the NHS, mental health charities, and the community sector to create impactful theatre that brings attention to social and health disparities, as well as the challenges faced by these groups, including health issues, disabilities, and financial barriers.

At the heart of our work we promote collective and youth-led action, intersectionality and open forums to inspire meaningful change. We invite decision-makers and leaders to performances to ensure our work maintains a legacy and a clear call to action, supporting future generations to navigate complex social and health issues.

Our productions are bold and vibrant, rooted in verbatim theatre and authentic storytelling.

By sharing genuine voices, emotional performances, and music that explores sensitive and timely themes of human connection, lived experiences and identity, we blend compelling new writing with crucial narratives and diverse perspectives.

As an experienced organisation advocating wellbeing we also have a consultancy agency for organisations & the educational sector looking to integrate youth-led and creative approaches into their programmes. Social prescribing, community & educational packages.

 



Placed-Based Partnerships



Bringing The Outside In 

Amber is alone.
She’s not turned up for the first day of her final year of sixth form.
She’s terrified of the climate crisis, and everyone knows it.
Enter Yerna - a three thousand year old “giant” she accidentally summons, who turns her stuffy flat into a forest oasis.

But can their intentions be trusted?
What can an ancient story teach a girl that she doesn’t already know?
Bringing The Outside In is a soul-stirring exploration of fear, hope, and the importance of community in a changing world.
 

Theatre for Life’s Bringing The Outside In comes as part of the Youth for Climate and Nature (YouCAN) scheme – a partnership project supported by the National Lottery Community Fund and match funding with the New Forest National Park Authority as a lead partner.

The YouCAN scheme is aimed at 11- to 25-year-olds to encourage more community-led action to tackle the nature and climate emergencies. It supports green skills and jobs, and an outdoor learning programme for young people from all backgrounds to explore urban, rural, coastal, and freshwater areas.

15th July 2 pm & 7 pm 
MAST Mayflower Studios, Southampton 

BUY TICKETS

FREE TICKETS


CURRICULM LINKS


PSHE Physical health and mental wellbeing, Health and Wellbeing, Relationships and Living in the Wider World. GCSE Drama, Science and Geography. 

Supported by New Forest National Park and National Lottery Community Fund 





 

The Feeling (of knowing something is wrong, but it isn't)

A family struggles in silence under the pressure of parenthood, micro aggressions and a series of never ending medical appointments. 

“The Feeling” has been devised by a female and non-binary creative team, alongside 100’s of voices across a large spectrum of people and cultures across Southampton. Built into the script is verbatim from a series of focus groups including: men, the LGBTQ+ community, those who have suffered with infertility, young people going through puberty and women going through or who have been through menopause. 

At its core the play is a cry for help from a community of voices who have felt at any one time silenced. A question as to how we can change this culture of silence by tackling shame within our education systems, medical systems and peer/family groups. 

We aim to increase understanding around female reproductive health care and LGBTQA+ health care inequities, as well as generate discussion around the language and reform we can use to make healthcare in Southampton and England not just accessible, but equal to all.

4th July 2 pm & 7 pm
MAST Mayflower Studios, Southampton


BUY TICKETS 

FREE TICKETS



2 pm will be followed by a roundtable discussion with stakeholders, policymakers, community members, including young people (14-25 yrs) from Southampton to collectively discuss how we can support female reproductive health & LGBTQ+ healthcare for future generations. 


CURRICULM LINKS

PSHE Physical health and mental wellbeing, Health and Wellbeing, Relationships and Living in the Wider World. GCSE Drama and Devising.

Please email  education@theatreforlife.co.uk for further enquiries. 

Supported by the Propel Associate Artist Scheme at MAST Mayflower Studios, Southampton Institute of Arts and Humanities, LifeLab and Young Southampton (UKSPF). 

CREATE AND INNOVATE: 2

Youth social action video campaigns supporting our 2025 "Your Brain Explained" theatre production.

Empowering young campaigners aged 16-25 yrs with lived experiences of neurodiversity to engage in advocacy & youth social action. 

Explore and enhance access to arts and culture for neurodivergent young people in Hampshire & how we can support long-term mental health and well-being through inclusive creative opportunities.

As part of the #BeeWell funded project, they are currently researching ways to enhance participation in arts, culture, and entertainment specifically for SEND groups, which currently has limited data in our local area.

Using research findings, the campaigners will create a two-minute & creative social media video aimed at promoting and sharing current arts & cultural opportunities available for Hampshire's neurodivergent communities. Additionally, the video will highlight ways in which decision-makers and organisations can enhance future access for these groups.


CREATE AND INNOVATE: 1

In our inaugural CREATE & INNOVATE youth social action programme, we engaged with our local youth community in Southampton from May to September 2024. 

Youth-driven creative initiatives aimed at exploring cultural views on menstruation and addressing the stigma and societal disparities surrounding female reproductive health with local Asian and Muslim groups. 

Youth-led creative campaigns to tackle healthcare inequities and barriers impacting our LGBTQIA+ community (including gender-affirming care).

The final goal was to advocate for accessible healthcare, normalise discussions, and promote a more equitable society for future generations through youth-led video campaigns which were shared with local stakeholders and decision-makers from the NHS, Public Health, researchers and LGBTQIA+ charities. 

This youth-led programme was supported with funding by Young Southampton (UKSPF fund).



 


 

2023 - 2025

We are delighted to announce that we have been selected as a Propel Associate as part of the NEW Propel Associate Artist programme at MAST Mayflower Studios. 

During our twenty months as a Propel Associate, we will be developing our creative and youth-led project ‘The feeling of knowing something is wrong, but it isn't'  with emerging, local artists & with the support of mentors at MAST. 

Exploring real stories through live theatre and music, we delve into the themes of female reproductive health and gender identity. These stories, often shrouded in silence and shame across cultures and generations, are brought to light through collaborative creation.

WHAT'S NEXT? 

Collaborating with Asian and Muslim youth groups and local communities, we are eager to address racial inequities that hinder people from accessing fair support. 

Another key development is to continue exploring real stories and voices related to gender inequality, stigma, and discrimination experienced by young LGBTQ+ communities.

Supported by LifeLab (University of Southampton) 
MAST Mayflower Studios 
 

Read More



Sign Up to Our Mailing List

actors preparing for the play
© Copyright 2025 South England Performing Arts Ltd | Registered Address: 4th Floor, 18 St. Cross Street, London, EC1N 8UNWeb Design By Toolkit Websites