ABOUT WORKIE TICKET
OUR AIMS
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Produce work which reflects current social issues
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Celebrate Women’s Theatre
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Promote Diversity
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Push Boundaries
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Provide new and exciting opportunities for North East Creatives
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Make lush theatre for lush audiences.
The term Workie Ticket is a Geordie colloquialism, which means someone who likes to push one’s luck- a chancer or a cheeky trouble-maker. When JoJo Kirtley was a young lass, her Grandad Joe would call her, “a proper little workie ticket” and the nick-name stuck. So, when thinking of a name for her theatre company, it seemed the perfect choice and in 2017, Workie Ticket Theatre was founded.
Our mission is to shake things up, be bold, push our luck within the theatre world and empower people through our work.
JoJo Kirtley
Founder & Co-Artistic Director
“It’s hard being a woman in terms of what is happening in
the current climate, but also I think there is a gap in
the market for what we do and how we do it- working with
women and encouraging them through theatre to tell their
stories. Now is the time to speak up and speak out.”
A writer, producer, facilitator and founder of Workie
Ticket Theatre Company, JoJo Kirtley has been working
for over a decade to create real social impact through
theatre. Her work has been performed at The Lowry,
Contact Theatre, The Exchange, (North Shields), Live
Theatre and the 24:7 Theatre Festival. She is passionate
about developing work within local communities to
create a platform and raise awareness of issues that
affect women in the North East region. JoJo is also a
qualified teacher with a MA in Theatre Studies. She
balances running Workie Ticket with being a mother
and working for various women's organisations in the
North East.
OUR ASSOCIATES
Dr Alice Cree
Alice is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the School of Geography, Politics & Sociology at Newcastle University. Her research, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, focuses on the value that theatre has in exploring gendered military stories and narratives. As part of the Women Warriors project, Alice attended our weekly workshops and will have ongoing involvement in order to conduct her research.
Sarah Hughes
Sarah trained at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts graduating in 2003. She then worked as an actress for ten years. The thought of treading the boards now fills her with a dread akin with doing a sky dive! Since having her children, Sarah has focused on writing her blog @pearlsofkiddom and was lucky enough to become a regular Huffington Post contributor. Sarah is now focusing on what she calls her optimism enterprise ‘The Good Thing Is Though’. As part of our Womxn Up? project, Sarah has written and performed 'Above her Pay Grade' as well as presenting our Womxn Up? podcast series alongside our founder, JoJo Kirtley!
Ashlea Sanderson
Ashlea is an experienced actor, voiceover artist, facilitator and teacher and began her work with Workie Ticket performing in our 'Women Warriors' project in 2019. After graduating from Rose Bruford College in 2002, Ashlea worked extensively in theatre, radio and film, both in London and in her native North-East before teaching Performing Arts at Newcastle College. Ashlea has a longstanding personal interest in championing and improving women's lives and her recent work with Workie Ticket includes 'Savage Daughters' with Women's Workshop and 'Her Primal Scream' for Womxn Up?
Studio 26
Studio 26 is a recording studio, audio production and live sound company based in Northumberland. Owned and operated by Matt Dunbar & Lauren Sanderson, Studio 26 has previously worked with musicians from across the North East including Holly Rees, No Fox and Aley V. Studio 26 also specialise in developing, creating, editing and producing podcasts, audio plays and soundscapes for the likes of The National Trust, Ayont Arts and the RSPB. We have loved working with Matt & Lauren on our podcast series for Womxn Up?
VOLUNTEERS
Lucia Wyles
Lucia Wyles is a retired advanced lecturer specialising in performing arts, a director and she is also disabled. She has mainly directed Tom Haddaway’s earlier, original work. Being part of Workie Ticket TC has changed her life for the better and empowered her to be able to give something back. She believes Workie Ticket has given her the opportunity to re-start her career. Lucia will be volunteering as an assistant director for our Women Warrior project.
Sarah Sanderson
Special mention must go to the founder of Workie Ticket TC. Sarah is a Family Worker and mother of two. She is passionate about supporting Workie Ticket TC’s mission to empower North East communities. She helped JoJo from the very start and we are all very grateful. Sarah is a non-executive director of Workie Ticket Theatre.
GALLERY
PRESS & REVIEWS
See what some of our actors, writers and audience members think about our work...
KARIN YOUNG
Writer
“Workie Ticket Theatre Co is an important new addition to dramatic storytelling in the North East. 'Hear Her Roar', their first production, commissioned a series of short plays written by new and established writers, providing a fresh and exciting night upstairs at the Bridge Hotel. The show was attended mostly by people who weren’t regular theatre goers, which was great and different, and feedback was incredibly positive. The production was in conjunction with Newcastle Women’s Aid, and the whole thing had a compelling campaigning feel. We need to bring new audiences into theatre. This will happen through dynamic, funny and challenging new writing, often best performed in more informal spaces. Hear Her Roar achieved all this in spades. Writers, actors and artists are keen to get involved with this great new venture. We want and need a Workie Ticket.”
LISA WHIP, THE GUARDIAN
Review: Readers Favourite Theatre
Above a pub, in Newcastle, overlooking the Tyne, nine pieces of new writing written mainly by women, about women and women’s issues, played to a sold-out Geordie audience. Brought to us by brand-new theatre company, Workie Ticket, whose aim was to raise money and awareness for Newcastle Women’s Aid by staging stories about domestic violence, sexuality, abortion, pregnancy, bullying and the Durham teaching assistants strike action. Hear Her Roar had passion, heartache, love and solidarity.
LUCIA WYLES
Director
“My time with workie ticket has been extremely rewarding. The company is so refreshing and forward thinking. I love that they embrace disability (as in me) ! And that they are inviting to all who need a voice in today's society. They provide an open door policy to all and treat all their members as equal, valuable people. I love Workie Ticket because they gave me the opportunity to grow and participate within a company that promotes and celebrates women in the community as a whole.”
CHRIS IDDON
Actor
"I consider myself very lucky to have been a part of Hear Her Roar as both times I've had the privilege of working on powerful scripts with hugely talented actors and directors. Workie Ticket has achieved with Hear Her Roar, what all good theatre should, questioning what it means to be human, specifically through the eyes and experiences of women. Jo has created an environment of exploration and discovery which provides a safe, creatively fertile arena in which stories that illuminate the everyday and the hidden lives of women who face prejudice, abuse and the challenge of simply being women in a male dominated world.I know Workie Ticket will continue to champion new writing, emerging and established artists and exhilarating theatre as long as Jo along with many others, wish to give a voice to the unspoken.Thank you Jo, Workie Ticket and all of the talented creatives I have had the honour to meet, work with and observe".
MHAIRI LEDGERWOOD
Writer
“I was really impressed by JoJo as a producer. She kept in touch with me throughout her process and kept me updated as to developments during the rehearsal process. As I couldn't be involved with rehearsals due to work commitments, I was really grateful to JoJo that she did this. I've also been impressed with how Workie Ticket has brought in a whole new audience, and for the money raised so far for charity. A really worthwhile project and I hope it continues.”