A new theatre company supporting the development of

creativity, collaboration and confidence

in young people

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Up Next

The poster for Stirred. A purple and orange background with what looks like a hurricane or tornado in the centre. Text on the image reads Stirred, Wednesday 15th May, 7:30pm, Golden Goose Theatre

We're back and excited to announce our next scratch night! Join us on the 15th of May and for an evening of new writing that moves the heart and mind. Be stirred by thought provoking fresh ideas that will rouse the soul and start a conversation

Join us at the Golden Goose Theatre on the 15th May @ 7:30pm, with spoken word, drama and song join us and see what some of the most exciting emerging artists have been cooking up!

Get your tickets now

Let's get cracking!

Hello, we're Cracking Slate, a new theatre company founded in 2022 based in the South-East and Midlands

We want to build a world where everyone can dive into their imagination and innovate together to build a more sustainable future

So to work towards this, we're supporting the development of creativity in young people aged 9-11 by bringing immersive theatrical experiences to primary schools

3 performers are holding a rope whcih they are pretending is a zipline.
A male and female performer. The male performer is holding a red rope to the female performer's ear like it is a telephone

Young people are supported to take creative control allowing them to build confidence, problem solving, and team working skills while exploring their own ideas

Recently:

the Lose the Path Find Your Way poster, a tree made from storybooks on a pastel orange background. In the bottom left corner there are the logos of arts council england and artsdepot.
a woman performing in Lose the Path, Find Your Way. She is holding a slingshot and looking at something in the distance with a concerned expression

In November 2023 we ran a two week R&D of our new play for young people— Lose the Path, Find Your Way— at artsdepot. We delivered 5 trial performances to local schools in Barnet and developed the participatory aspects of the play. We are very grateful to Arts Council England and artsdepot for their support in making this project possible.

What our audiences say

“Amazing because you get to be part of it”

“I was very excited about what was going to happen next. Very dramatic and intense. I loved it”

"I liked how it was very interactive with the audience and let us use our imagination to see what it is like in the forest. My favourite part was when we got to build our own world"

Three performers are peering through a gap in a wall looking inquisitive. There is a cardboard tree next to them
a male and female actor are peering through a piece of red rope as if it is a portal to another world and are recoiling from whatever they can see on the other side

Teachers' Feedback

  • It was amazing! The students were all visibly engaged and were able to express their creative individuality
  • Excellent acting. Children very engaged. Great sound effects/lighting. Excellent set design and costumes. Overall, wonderful. I loved how creative it was
  • Fantastic- love that they included the children and made them laugh. Very engaging!
A man wearing a bright pink bobble hat is looking at an orange paper leaf reading something that is written on it

This follows a five day R&D in August 2023 at London Performance Studios which enabled us to develop the storytelling style with actors and the creative team

See inside the rehearsal room!

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For Emerging Artists

the cast and creatives of Early Dawn standing on stage at the curtain call. Josh is standing at the front holding a microphone and presenting to the audience.

Alongside supporting young people we also want to support new and emerging professionals. Our first new writing night, Early Dawn, showcased 15 emerging writers and artists, providing a valuable platform for new writers to showcase their work.
For more info on all the artists who took part check out our program

Program

the cast and creatives of Early Dawn standing on stage at the curtain call

Our Supporters

We are very grateful to all the organisations and individuals that make our work possible

PLATFORM Artist in Residence

London Performance Studios Logo

London Performance Studios
Seeding Space Receipient

Winner of the
StART Enterprise Award
from the
The Royal Central School
of Speech and Drama

Want to join us on our journey?

For opportunities and updates follow us on Instagram and X:

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Send Josh an email at josh@crackingslate.com

We'd love to hear from you and are looking for like-minded organisations to partner with

Josh Lewis

Founder

A black and white image of Josh. He is sitting behind a keyboard looking into the distance

Josh is the director and founder of Cracking Slate. He is a writer, musical director and facilitator

He is a graduate from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama’s Writing for Performance BA. Previously he trained as a performer at Sylvia Young Theatre School and Italia Conti

An image of Josh sitting behind a white keyboard, performing on stage. He is wearing a red shirt and there is blue lighting

He has worked with young people ranging in age from 4-17 over the past 3 years. He delivers drama workshops and singing lessons, teaching for a number of youth theatre companies. This has enabled him to develop facilitation and leadership skills, with a range of experience in working with young people supporting them to achieve their best and explore their individuality.

An image of Josh presenting to an audience. He is introducing a song. There is a male and female performer in the background listening to Josh. There is a red backcloth.

Guiding Lights

How we do the work is as important as the work itself, these guiding lights will underpin the way the company engages with participants and works with the creatives involved in bringing it to life

An image of a lighthouse with a rowing boat heading towards it. The image is blue.

To create an environment that provides a fulfilling and enriching experience for the participants and the practitioners who work for the company

To encourage play and experimentation within the work that we do

To respect everyone and their journey and unique experiences that have brought them to where they are today

To communicate openly and honestly about challenges that are being faced

To listen to each other and engage with each other’s ideas

An image of an orange pencil with stars coming out of the top of it.