Curious Monkey's production of Hold Me Tight

Curious Monkey works with young people with experience of the care system and people seeking sanctuary in the UK

Photo: Credit: Ian Mackintosh

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Curious Monkey theatre company to close after 12 years

Curious Monkey, a theatre company that has worked with marginalised communities for more than a decade, will close next year citing the current economic and political climate.

Mary Stone
3 min read

A theatre company based in the North East of England will wind up operations next year due to a lack of funding, it has been announced.

Curious Monkey, set up in 2011 to work with young people with experience of the care system and people seeking sanctuary in the UK, had previously been financed by a variety of sources, including Arts Council England project grants, but was not successful in its latest bid to become a National Portfolio Organisation. 

In its latest financial statements for 2021/2022, trustees noted that they considered the key risks facing the charity to be "the inability to raise sufficient funds, the loss of key staff and the impact of the UK’s economic downturn".

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Artistic Director Amy Golding said: “While we have gratefully received core funding from a number of trusts and foundations over the past few years, the prospect of returning to running an organisation from hand to mouth, without core funding, is no longer viable in the current economic and political climate.

“The way we work takes time to build trust, needs to be done with care and the right resources to support our team and participants. Without those resources in the longer term we decided to take a positive step to close Curious Monkey with care; find new ways to have an impact.” 

Golding and Executive Director Jenny Dewar, who founded the company together, said they had “taken the difficult decision” to close down and “move on to new opportunities”.

'First step in theatre'

Curious Monkey is currently touring its production Penguin created by Syrian refugee Hamzeh Al Hussien. Hussein described the company as a "family", adding, "Curious Monkey helped me achieve my first step in my life in theatre as a professional artist. This was my dream from when I was in the refugee camp.” 

The charity, which was the first arts organisation of sanctuary in the North East, will host a closing event on 15 March at Gosforth Civic Theatre. Rosie Tapsfield, City of Sanctuary Lead at Newcastle City Council, said: "It is vital to make sure that there is a legacy from the amazing bar that Curious Monkey have set for arts and sanctuary work in the city and beyond."

Chair of trustees, Dr Caroline Murphy, said: “Curious Monkey’s creative vision has always been fuelled by the people we work with, people whose voices have been ignored too often and for too long.

"At a time when this work is so urgently needed, it is with great sadness that we have taken the decision that closing the company next year is the right thing to do in the current funding climate."