It’s Been a While… Here’s What We’ve Been Up To!

It’s been a little while since our last blog (we’ve been busy behind the scenes!), but what a year it’s been. Since last Christmas’ Bauble Town tour, we’ve been planning something very special, our 10-year anniversary celebrations!

From June 2025 to June 2026, we’re marking a decade of creating, collaborating, and connecting with our community. It’s already shaping up to be one of our biggest years yet, filled with new projects, familiar faces, and plenty of reasons to celebrate.

So, here’s a little round-up of what we’ve been up to, and what’s still to come!

A Sparkling End to 2024 - Bauble Town and Pay It Forward

Last Christmas, our libraries were bursting with baubles, music, and laughter as Bauble Town toured across East Yorkshire. Created in partnership with East Riding Libraries, the show was developed through writing workshops with ERYC's Children's Participation and Rights Team, ensuring the voices of the characters were authentic and reflected the lived experiences of local children.

The show followed Bob the Bauble on a heart-warming adventure between two homes, exploring themes of blended families, young carers, and children looked after, and featured live music, puppetry, and integrated Makaton.

Through our Pay It Forward campaign, hundreds of families who might not usually get to experience live theatre received free tickets thanks to our incredible community of supporters. Partnering with HEY Children’s University, Hull and East Riding Libraries, and local Schools, we made sure that cost was not a barrier to the magic of theatre at Christmas.

10 Years of She: A Fresh Look and Big Give Boost

After Bauble Town, we began preparing for our 10-year celebrations by taking part in The Big Give’s Arts for Impact campaign. Thanks to generous match funding and community donations, we raised an amazing £5,575 (including Gift Aid) helping us kick-start a whole year of accessible theatre and creative opportunities.

We also revealed our brand-new logo and 10-year banner, designed by the brilliant Becky Devlin, alongside a complete website refresh to reflect where we are now as a company, and where we’re headed.

To capture our first decade on film, we partnered with the incredible Fly Girl Films, who produced a beautiful short film celebrating the people, projects, and stories that have shaped She Productions since 2015. You can watch it here (tissues at the ready!)

Summer 2025 – Finding Your Voice & HETA Workshops

We officially launched our anniversary year in June 2025 with our Finding Your Voice programme, now in its eighth year of delivery, in partnership with ERYC's Adult Learning and Employability's Ready to Work Programme. The project continues to empower adults to build confidence, communication, and creativity through drama, writing, and performance.

Shortly after, we teamed up with our friends at HETA (Humber Engineering Training Association) for Step Up, Stand Out, our bespoke confidence-building programme for new apprentices. Using theatre-based exercises, games, and storytelling, the sessions help young people develop self-belief, teamwork, and communication skills as they enter the world of work.

Autumn Applause – Beverley Does Broadway Returns

No She Productions celebration would be complete without a little glitz and glamour! This autumn, our much-loved musical comedy fundraiser Beverley Does Broadway made its dazzling return, raising vital funds for our work in and for the local community, from our accessible family shows to our outreach projects and Pay It Forward campaign.

Bringing together some of East Yorkshire’s finest home-grown talent, the 2025 production featured an all-star cast including Annie Kirkman, Alice Palmer, Caitlin Townend, and Jo Patmore; four powerhouse performers with deep roots in the region and a shared passion for storytelling.

Directed by Elizabeth Godber, with musical direction by Natalie Walker and choreography by Ruby Stevenson. Behind the scenes, Assistant Producer Alison Shaw, PR & Community Fundraising Lead Hannah Levy, and Technical Stage Manager Amy Garstang, who also produced our incredible 10-Year Anniversary merch (tote bags and mugs) with RGBeloved, brought their trademark creativity and care to every detail, alongside Wig Designer Esther Snelling, ensuring the show sparkled from start to finish.

This 10th-anniversary edition was also made possible thanks to the generous support of local businesses and community supporters including Sailing Options, Neill & Brown Global Logistics, Two Cats Tax, Blue Aurora Media, Tranby Independent School, Beverley Westwood WI, Cut-2-Size, and Guest & Philips Jewellers, who sponsored a show on the tour, helping to keep the spirit of live theatre thriving and support our work in and for the local community.

A huge thank-you to everyone who’s cheered, danced, donated, and supported Beverley Does Broadway - you made it a glittering success!

This Christmas – The Fairy Who Fell Off the Christmas Tree

Now, as the fairy lights start to glow again, we’re gearing up for our festive show and the return of The Fairy Who Fell Off the Christmas Tree, (the first family show we produced in partnership with East Riding Libraries in 2021), touring throughout December 2025.

This year, Co-Artistic Director Jessica Duffield welcomed her second baby and is currently on maternity leave, but she’s remained a creative force behind the scenes. Jessica has written the picture book adaptation and refreshed the original stage show, continuing to support this year’s cast and creative team as they bring The Fairy Who Fell Off the Christmas Tree to life.

This original musical will tour 33 performances across East Riding Libraries, primary schools, and community venues, reaching more than 3,300 local residents. With over 1,500 free tickets gifted through our Pay It Forward campaign (and three FREE whole school shows funded by Beverley Town Council) local children and their families/ carers who might otherwise miss out will experience live theatre at Christmas.

The show blends theatre, puppetry, and music to tell a heart-warming story of kindness, teamwork, and belonging. Each performance is designed to be inclusive, with relaxed settings, integrated Makaton, natural lighting, and a SEND-friendly show with BSL interpretation.

By touring directly into libraries and schools, we’re removing cost and travel barriers, bringing professional theatre right to families’ doorsteps, including those in rural and coastal communities such as Bridlington, Goole, and Withernsea.

This year’s tour has been made possible thanks to support from Arts Council England, East Riding Libraries, Beverley Town Council, and local business sponsor Morco Products, as well as hundreds of generous donors through our Big Give and Pay It Forward campaigns.

Our First-Ever Picture Book!

We’re also thrilled to be publishing our first picture book; The Fairy Who Fell Off the Christmas Tree, written by Co-Artistic Director Jessica Duffield and illustrated by local artist Penny Barron.

The book brings our stage story to life on the page and includes easy-to-use QR links to the show’s songs and music by Associate Artist and Composer Marina Papadopoulos, so children and their families can sing along, long after the curtain falls (coming soon).

The Celebration Continues…

Our 10-year celebrations continue through June 2026, shining a light on the people, partners, and projects that have shaped our journey so far. Next June, we’ll host a special anniversary celebration party, a chance to look back at the past decade, celebrate what we’ve achieved, and share our vision for the next ten years of She Productions (more info and how to book your tickets coming soon).

From the sparkle of Bauble Town to the heart of The Fairy Who Fell Off the Christmas Tree, with empowering outreach workshops and a show-stopping Beverley Does Broadway along the way, this year has embodied the very essence of She Productions; creative, connected, and accessible to all - and we're only getting started!

Here’s to the next ten years of engaging, inspiring, and empowering through theatre.

Join the Celebration

If you’d like to help us share the magic of live theatre this Christmas and beyond, you can donate through our Ko-fi page and reference Pay It Forward, or you can include a Pay It Forward donation when you purchase your tickets for this year's Christmas tour (coming soon).

Your support will gift £4 theatre tickets and £7.50 picture books to local children and their families or carers who might otherwise miss out, distributed through our amazing partners: Hull and East Riding Libraries, local schools, and HEY Children’s University.

Every donation makes a difference, thank you for helping us keep theatre accessible for everyone this Christmas, and beyond!

Photography Credit: Sara Kruger

First Image: Jo Patmore (Beverley Does Broadway, 2025)

Second Image: She Productions Logo - Refresh of Brand: Becky Devlin Design

Third Image: Left to Right - Della Maylan, Mariana Barbera, Molly Charnley, Frankie Turton (Cast of Bauble Town, 2024)