Community
Share stories with each other, create a community using music and movement, find the power of listening.
Alongside devising performances, Seemia Theatre have extensive experience facilitating workshops in a number contexts. Engaging with our local and international communities has always been integral to our creative process and company ethos. We are particularly keen to provide opportunities for people with history of migration, who may have English as an additional Language from Iranian, South West Asian and Latinx heritage.
From drumming workshops as part of the Albany's REBEL Season, to a 10 week programme of cultural exchange focussed on confidence building for refugee women with The Marylebone Project - making space for people to be creative and have their voice heard is key.
In 2026, we worked with ARC Stockton to develop our offer for communities to engage our unique devising style, which led us to recruit a community ensemble that took part in co-creation of a new production across two week rehearsal process.
Let's Love, ARC Stockton
June-July 2025 and May-July 2026
Theatre & Ensemble taster and audition workshops to recruit for the Let's Love Community Ensemble.
Alongside, we held Design and Food & Storytelling workshops, so those not interested in performing could take part and inform our co-creation process, exploring how texture, colour and flavour are used to help bring community together to celebrate wedding celebrations in different cultures.
Let's Love was a community co-created performance celebrating the diversity of Stockton & Teesside. Commissioned by ARC Stockton as part of their Make New Work programme, funded by The Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
Copla Cabaret, Exchange Theatre
July 2025
Performance workshops for LGBTQ+ migrants – Copla is a traditional Spanish music genre once suppressed by Franco’s dictatorship then reclaimed by drag artists as a political tool. This project will explore the experiences of migration and exile. Part of Southwark Pride 2025 programme supported by Southwark Council.
Creative Voices, artsdepot
Feb-Mar 2025
Theatre & Ensemble training with the artsdepot's Iranian, South West Asian & Migrant Community Group.
Creative Voices, The Arcola
May 2023
Theatre & Ensemble training with the Arcola's Turkish, Kurdish and South West Asian Community Group.
Free Your Beat, the Albany Theatre
May 2019
A community Drumming workshop, generating creativity and collective rhythms as part of the Albany's Rebel Season.
Migrants Organise
Jun 2018
Theatre and ensemble workshops to support confidence building for migrants with English as an additional Language.
TEDx Leamington Spa
Nov 2017
Cheryl was invited to be part of a panel for TEDx Leamington Spa, that year titled ‘H?ME Homelessness – Beyond the Label’. She was part of a panel with two other amazing and inspiring women, Lianne Kirkman and Ellie House, who both work for charities tackling homelessness; Helping Hands and Kairos WWT discussing homelessness, how charities engage with those who have experienced homelessness and how theatre & arts can be used to support the community.
You can read more from the blog here.
The Marylebone Project
Aug 2016
Following a 3-hour workshop with the whole company in the summer, Seemia presented a 10-week programme of workshops with residents from from The Marylebone Project (A charity and hostel for homeless women in London, most of whom are refugees from Eritrea and Ethiopia).
The workshops were a cultural exchange focussed on openness and trust using music & drumming, movement and poetry as a vehicle to play, share and listen.
