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Social Impact Theatre

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2018 Awards Winners

SIT-UP Award Winner

Christina Murdock's production Dangerous Giant Animals at Underbelly Cowgate.
Dangerous Giant Animals is based on Christina's experience of growing up with her disabled sister. The £5,000 Award  helped the production to further promote its message and improve its engagement with audiences and relevant charities. The play was shown at Sit-UP Sunday at Park Theatre.

2018 Special Commendation

Strictly Arts’ production of Freeman at Pleasance Courtyard.
This play passionately explores, racism, generational trauma and mental health in prisons.

"The SIT-UP Awards really made us sit up, think and act on trying to improve the real life situation around the themes discussed in Freeman. Creating work that raises awareness is very important but then doing something about it takes a greater ingenuity. The Sit Up Awards are helping to fuel that ingenuity."
Henry Bays of Strictly Arts.

The other shortlisted productions were:-

  • Smokescreen Productions: Mengele (Assembly George Square Theatre)
    A spotlight on anti-semitism and a warning from the past of the consequences when the world buys into hatred and bigotry.
  • Futures Theatre: Never Vera Blue - (Summerhall)
    A play about domestic abuse and the power of coercion
  • Power Play: The Empty chair (site-specific Flat 7, 21 Broughton Street, EH1 3JU)
    A play with an interesting twist on #metoo from the young feminist activist company Power Play Theatre.
  • Charades Musicals and BSAC: The Mould that changed the world - (The Space at Surgeons Hall)
    A musical with an important message about the spread of antibiotic resistance. It comes from Charades Musicals, a company committed to taking musicals into schools.

"All of the shortlisted productions shine a light on different issues and show the power of theatre to achieve change through their audiences. And that was the idea in setting up these awards in the first place”.
David Graham founder of SIT-UP awards.

The Audience Engagement Award

2018 Winner

Acá Theatre’s production, Better Together at the Pleasance Courtyard.Better Together

This physical theatre company was given the award for engaging with its audience in an innovative and hugely entertaining way. Better Together looks at how people communicate with each other and the increasing use of technology. To get their message across the company, started an online campaign entitled ‘peoplenotscreens' with badges handed out to audiences as well as providing a sheet with tips for a more screen-free day. During the Edinburgh Festival Fringe run, Acá Theatre also ran workshops at Edinburgh’s Whale Arts Centre and Mix Up Theatre.

"Because of the prize we have been able to make a more long-lasting impact on our audiences and raise awareness around the issue of establishing healthy boundaries around the use of technology for young people." Francisca Stangel - Better Together

2018 Highly Commended

Hoipolloi’s The Duke created by Shôn Dale-Jones at the Pleasance Courtyard.
This production has raised nearly £50,000 for Save the Children over the past few years.

Henry Box Brown from US based Children's Theatre Company at Assembly Rooms.
This musical journey about an 1850s Virginia slave who ships himself to freedom in a box.
The company invited audience members to sign up to a social pledge about race.

Adam Lazarus’s Daughter at Canada Hub, a head-on confrontation of toxic masculinity.
The company held an excellent daily post-show discussion with audiences in the café at the venue.

“The social action engagement with our audiences is not a thing apart or after-thought, but at the very centre of our artistic and programmatic vision.” Mehr Mansuri - Henry Box Brown.