We offer multi-agency conferences with a focus on vulnerable young people and families, a unique and dynamic contribution to the event enabling delegates to participate in a meaningful way. The shared experience of watching theatre provides a focus for the issues involved, and through post performance facilitation, delegates are able to share knowledge, expertise and skill to identify solutions for improved outcomes.
We can provide a professional performance from our repertoire of plays or create a bespoke piece focusing on the theme of your event. In addition we can facilitate whole conference interactive participatory activities or provide specific workshops for delegates.
Performances range in time from 20 minutes to 50 minutes; facilitation and workshops from 20 minutes to all day.
We can be flexible to suit the event structure, and offer guidance with practical arrangements.
We have experience of performing and facilitating at a number of national, regional and local conferences and development days. Recent events include:
Wiltshire Children's Services: Joining Together for the Education of Children Looked After
With great professionalism, you and your fellow actors incorporated all the key issues, enabling them to be explored sensitively whilst providing the realism that chimed with many people. The follow-up interactive sessions were also very relevant serving to illustrate the different perspectives. They enabled people to reflect on their understanding in ways which encouraged them to think anew, not only for themselves, but also about their interactions with others who have shared responsibility. I could go on……!
Principal Education Welfare Officer
Wiltshire Children’s Services
South East Essex PCT: CAMHS Stakeholder Event
The planning for the day was complex, with input from national, regional and local leaders and the stakeholders included staff from 2 local authorities, commissioning and provider PCTs and service users. Because of this we found your willingness to come to Southend to plan the event very helpful. You took our brief and designed the "experiential" element of the day with a real sense of ownership to include acted scenarios, experiential groupwork and creative and engaging ways of participants giving their views.
Because of the powerful impact of the theatrical experience, the day itself was grounded in the real experiences of the emotional wellbeing challenges faced by young people and their families. This helped the stakeholders to focus on future possibilities rather than past difficulties. This has helped us to look at changing how we design, commission and manage our joint Council and PCT CAMHS services.
In engaging individuals in joint creative work, the day has also had other benefits; one of the strong messages was that communication barriers between practitioners and between agencies really get in the way of creating an effective "team around the child/family" – and on more than one occasion that we know of, practitioners have phoned saying "I was going to email about this, but thought I’d ring to speak to you instead".
Head of Specialist Resources & Quality Assurance / Southend Borough Council
Assistant Director Children, Young People and Maternity Commissioning / South East Essex PCT
Government Office for the South West: facilitation at South West Children's Board
We have commissioned Myrtle Theatre Company a number of times over the past two years, their work on Care Matters: Time for Change and in supporting the work of the South West Regional Childrens Board has never been less than totally committed, focused and thought provoking.
Childrens Services Advisor, GOSW
Bristol Children's Workforce: Leadership Group Development Day
It made a tremendous contribution to the day in terms of being a creative and very fresh take on what could otherwise be a relatively remote topic for some people. The painfully real portrayal of the kind of issues which are relevant to promoting young people’s health made it come alive and some of the most positive comments came from people in support roles who perhaps don’t have such a clear idea of what goes on. The evaluations were remarkably good – the majority specifically mentioned your session as an example of what worked well….the majority rated it 10 out of 10.
We really appreciated the energy and commitment and your flexibility in working with the constraints of space and arrangements in the hall.
Strategy Leader
Bristol Children’s Workforce
Northern Regional Conference for Ofsted Inspectors
Comments from delegates
Myrtle theatre group were absolutely brilliant. It was such a breath of fresh air to have something different and so enjoyable.
Excellent afternoon session with Myrtle Theatre – really helped focus & remind all delegates of value of work we do & vital importance of keeping ‘every child matters' in forefront of all we do.
Theatre group extremely effective – contextualises issues more than power point presentations.
Best conference so far, more interactive. Myrtle company – excellent. A welcome change from being ‘talked at’ after the morning & greater impact then being "talked at".
Government Office for the West Midlands: Care Matters Time to Deliver
The feedback for "Help Us Fly" has been overwhelming and the message you enabled the young people to convey was so powerful and yet so simple (and so achievable)!
The young people and foster carers had such a wonderful experience that I know they won't forget.
Policy Officer - Vulnerable Children
GOWM
Government Office for the South West: Care Matters Time to Deliver
I wanted to say how thought provoking and emotionally affecting yesterday's production was at the Care Matters Implementation Plan launch in Taunton. Thank you.
Senior Nurse for LAC
Wiltshire PCT
Gateshead Council: Engaging the Disengaged
We were delighted with the feedback we received regarding your input at our Engaging the Disengaged Conference. The play had a very serious message but it was put over in an uncomplicated, easy to understand way. It was an excellent session for straight after lunch as that is usually the worst session with people wanting to fall asleep - but you managed to keep everyone awake and interested.
Staff Development Officer
Learning & Children
Southend Borough Council: Ambitions for Looked After Children
Many, many thanks for a wonderful performance on Friday. The feedback from the delegates for your performance was outstanding. Almost everybody rated it as the best bit of the conference.
Specialist Services
Dept of Children & Learning, Southend Borough Council
Young Minds Regional & National CAMHS conferences
We learned it’s not about acting and dressing up in funny clothes – it’s about a much more powerful way of putting a message across about what young people need and what we need to make sure they get it.
Foster carer
British Association of Adoption and Fostering national conference
I have no doubt that your presentation made an important contribution to the overall success of the programme, and will have a positive impact on practice in the field.
Health Group Development Officer
British Association of Adoption and Fostering
Torbay Council: Multi-agency Care Event
I felt refreshed and it reminded me about what drives young people’s behaviour and to support, encourage, empower young people to find their own answers rather than give advice based on my values / experiences.
Leaving Care Personal Advisor
I completely agree that drama and creativity are the key both to children becoming empowered, as well as empowering adults to help them.
Equalities Co-ordinator Education
South West Regional Nurses for Children Looked After: Group Development Day
I felt refreshed and motivated – empowered to advocate....I felt safe and inspired.
Nurse for LAC
South West Region
Healthy Schools: What Next Conference
It was very useful indeed. Not only in its own right, but also as a fabulous way of both bringing every one together after being in lots of small workshops and also leaving people feeling completely energised at the end of a long day.
Assistant Healthy Schools Coordinator, Bristol
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