Mandala Theatre Company
Established in 2015 Mandala produces theatre for local, national and international audiences and employs, trains and nurtures young people from diverse backgrounds into the Creative Industry.
About our organisation
Mandala Theatre Company is an Oxford based Community Interest Company (CIC) that uses the power of performance and creativity to change young lives, build communities and foster social justice. We give voice to those whose stories are not heard and give those stories life. We believe that the arts are a force for change and use them to connect people, influence social, policy and system change. ‘7 billion people but whose voices are heard? Whose stories are told?’ These are the questions that motivated us to set up Mandala in 2015, one of the leading ethnically diverse-led touring and training theatre companies in the UK and one of only two in Oxford. Mandala is achieving national and international acclaim for its work – to inspire and move audiences and change the way people think about the issues facing young people, offering pathways and opportunities to those from Black, Asian, Ethnically diverse and White working-class backgrounds, especially, into the creative industries.
The change we want to see
The change we want to see is a systemic change in relation to racial and class equality, education and cultural opportunity through changes in social policy. We are dedicated to giving young people a voice, building self- esteem, self-confidence, skills and aspirations through long-term engagement to create change so that there is more equality and opportunity whilst changing the cultural landscape for employment in the arts and more widely. Mandala’s unique creative process for our professional productions are co-created with young people who have lived experience of the injustice we are highlighting, as well as input from academic research. Our vision is to see a UK that reflects and is enriched by the diversity of the people who live here, and the wealth of histories and stories that exist in the world. Culture is an agent for progressive social change and we want to bring about greater equity and democracy and use our influence to advocate for change within the arts and wider cultural sector.