Important Announcement
We want to share the news that, after 10 years, Curious Monkey will be closing in Spring 2024. This has been an incredibly difficult decision for us to make but we have made it together with our board, as we see an end point for the company with the culmination of a number of projects next year. We want to wrap the company up with care and careful consideration for our staff, partners and the communities we work with - in keeping with the ethos of Curious Monkey and how we have run it together over the last ten years.
We want to thank and celebrate the brilliant work of all the staff, artists, collaborators, participants and co-creators we have worked with over the last decade. We are so proud of what we have created together, the accomplishments of the company, all the brilliant people involved and the impact the charity has had on many people’s lives.
Together we built a company that flourished, one that was ambitious and determined to bring about social change. We kept on going, ramping up activity during the pandemic, adapting to a changing world to continue to create moments of connection and joy within our local (and online) communities.
Curious Monkey is the North East’s first Theatre Company of Sanctuary. Over the last 10 years, we created and produced eleven shows, five 360 films, 1 feature film, produced projects and toured productions in the UK and internationally, produced four Care about Care? conferences, and connected with many local communities on their doorsteps with our Curious Caravan. We have mentored and supported new artists, and worked with a range of brilliant partners who have, in turn, mentored and supported us. Our long-term projects have provided consistency, creativity and joy to people who have found themselves living within and navigating broken social systems, supporting them to make changes through the power of stories and theatre. We thank all of you who have been part of this journey with us, which wouldn’t have been possible without you all.
As we are sure those of you who work in the arts and charity sector know, it is an extremely difficult time for organisations large and small. The challenges of securing long term core funding put the future sustainability of Curious Monkey in question. This, along with many other factors, has impacted our decision, which we have taken in a timely and intentional way, so that we have time to close the company responsibly and with care, thinking about the wellbeing of ourselves, our staff and participants.
Since founders Amy Golding and Jenny Dewar met back in 2009, we have been on a wonderful journey together, supported by our brilliant board members and passionate, dedicated staff; funded by some amazing organisations, trusts and foundations. We have climbed steep learning curves, riding the waves of successes and challenges and we are in no doubt that we will continue to work together in the future. Over the next few months, we will focus on making our final projects incredibly special. We are supporting staff, co-creators and participants to move on to the next chapter of their journeys, and preserving the legacy of Curious Monkey.
We invite you to join us in celebrating 10 years of brilliant work. We will be having a 10th birthday and farewell celebration on Friday 15th March at Gosforth Civic Theatre looking back on all we’ve achieved that we hope you will be part of.
Penguin continues its national tour until 30th November, with dates at Sheffield Theatres (9th and 10th November) and Arts Centre Washington (30th November).
Troupe (our regular creative group for young people with experience of the care system) will finish in December 2023. As we make this announcement they are preparing for their final Care About Care? event tomorrow (3rd November) at Gosforth Civic Theatre, performing a new show all about growth as we support them to fly the nest and move on to new opportunities.
The Arriving Project (a project running regular creative groups for people seeking sanctuary as refugees and asylum seekers) will finish in March 2024 and members of the project will perform one final time at the celebration event on 15th March.