Award winning, North Tyneside-based, female-led theatre company who are proper little Workie Tickets.
Geordie Gaol Girls
Workie Ticket Theatre is thrilled to announce that we have been funded by the The National Lottery Heritage Fund to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Newcastle Gaol’s closure through our Geordie Gaol Girls project!
Collaborating with diverse groups, we'll craft authentic costumes, produce prison ‘mugshots’, and co-create an immersive theatre experience staged at the original Gaol site, highlighting "HERstories", guided by historical research.
Our aim is to archive this work for future accessibility, preserving and ensuring the resonance of these stories. Despite the Gaol closing in 1925, this project will ensure that the unheard voices of confined women and those affected by abuse are not lost. We hope to leave a lasting legacy by shedding light on forgotten stories reflecting on issues of poverty and gender inequality.
Our work so far...
Nee Place Like Hyem
As part of International Women’s Day 2025, we had the honour of being part of Gendered Violence: Research, Policy, and Practice at Northumbria University. It was incredibly moving to see 'Nee Place Like Hyem' performed again, with a powerful performance by Charlotte Ryder.
The play was originally performed at Recoco in October 2024. Written by JoJo Kirtley and directed by Ashlea Sanderson— the play explores the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on women in the North East, touching on issues like homelessness, poverty, and gender-based violence. We worked so hard to get it right and to honour the stories of the women we spoke to.
Nee Place Like Hyem is directly connected to a new report of the same name, created in partnership with the UK Women’s Budget Group, and shares the real experiences of women in our region and highlights the urgent need for change.
A huge thanks to Erin Parker Leonard for her fearless work on the report, to the women who took part in the surveys and focus groups, and to the staff who supported them and us. It’s a privilege to tell these stories, but we shouldn’t have to keep fighting to be heard.
To all the women on the frontline—survivors, activists, artists, and those working tirelessly in the women's sector despite constant funding uncertainty—we see you, we stand with you, and we say: We deserve better.
One day, we hope to be celebrating IWD rather than discussing the latest gender-based violence statistics. Until then, we keep pushing.
IDAS Family Court Support Films
Created in collaboration with IDAS (Independent Domestic Abuse Services), these films offer guidance on navigating the UK Family Court system, practicing self-care, and finding strength during what can be an incredibly challenging process.
This project builds on our Walk the Line and The Wrong Type projects about post separation abuse. In September, we held a co-creation workshop with survivors to ensure these films reflect your voices and experiences.
These are more than films – they are love letters of solidarity, resilience, and hope, created by survivors, for survivors.
Directed with care and expertise by the brilliant Charlotte Ryder.
Phenomenal performances by the talented Ashlea Sanderson.
Script written by JoJo Kirtley and co-created with survivors.
Brought to life with the creative vision of filmmaker Ko-Le Chen.
The Wrong Type
Workie Ticket is on a mission (again!) with our new survivor-led project, The Wrong Type, to highlight the often-overlooked emotional, financial, and logistical impacts of Family Court proceedings. Partnering with Northumbria University, the project will explore the untold stories of the Family Court system within the UK and the devastating impact it has on families who have experienced domestic abuse and post separation abuse. Building on the success of Workie Ticket’s previous short play "I Walk the Line", part of our WALK THE LINE project, The Wrong Type is committed to amplifying diverse voices and perspectives, while fostering dialogue and understanding within communities and driving positive change in the Family Court system.
With seed funding from Northumbria University's Gendered Violence and Abuse Interdisciplinary Theme (IDRT), we supported a week of intensive Research and Development (R&D). This process included a creative day at Northumbria University with survivors and professionals, where we explored character development and the themes of the play. We then tasked JoJo with writing three scenes, the ‘seed’ of our play, which we will present to an audience of survivors and professionals, on 20th June 2024 at Northumbria University*. The feedback from our audience feedback, will then inform the next stage of the development of the project. We are very excited to have the opportunity to continue the work we began with our WALK THE LINE project in Autumn 2023 - and our survivor-led creative conference in November 2023.
With special thanks to Dr Rima Hussein and Kayliegh Richardson, Gendered Violence and Abuse Interdisciplinary Research Theme (IDRT), East End Women, Acorns & The Angelou Centre.
*This event is by invitation only due to the sensitive nature of the project and the space available.
"...I’m knackered. I’m broke. I ache. I hardly sleep. I do it without any help. Those lads rely on me. Solely me. I walk the line for them..."
Workie Ticket would like to invite you to take part in our WALK THE LINE project which will include an interactive theatre workshop about domestic abuse, male violence against women and girls ( MVAWG) and post-separation abuse.
The workshops will include a performance of ‘I Walk the Line’, a short play written by JoJo Kirtley about single mother Steph, who sings to block out her abusive ex and remains determined to ‘walk the line’ for her two sons. Based on real-life events, ‘I Walk the Line’ will be performed by actor and survivor Ashlea Sanderson and directed by Charlotte Ryder.
The workshops will lead up to our very first Workie Ticket conference, delivered as part of the United Nations 16 Days of Activism to end gender based violence. This unique and creative survivor-led conference will include live and recorded performances, an art exhibition, keynote speakers from White Ribbon and Northumbria University and an expert panel discussion. Participants of the workshops and the creative conference will help contribute to our WALK THE LINE action plan which will inform future discussions with policy makers.
6th October 2023, Linskill North Shields, 10.30am *Limited availability*
To book: please email workietickettheatre@gmail.com
Tickets are FREE.
12th October 2023, Shilbottle Community Centre, 11.00am
To book: CLICK HERE
Tickets are FREE.
20th October 2023, The Recovery College, Newcastle City Centre, 12.45pm *Limited Availability*
To book: CLICK HERE
Tickets are FREE - Donations Welcome
20th October 2023, The Recovery College, Newcastle City Centre, 18.00pm
To book: CLICK HERE
Tickets are £8
9th November 2023, WHiST, South Shields, 11.00am WOMEN ONLY *Limited Availability*
To book: please email workietickettheatre@gmail.com
Tickets are FREE.
For group bookings please email JoJo at workietickettheatre@gmail.com.
Please note that this workshop will contain strong themes that some people might find triggering such as sexual violence, physical violence, covert abuse/coercive control and emotional abuse.
Participants will not be expected to ‘act’ but will be expected to take part in discussion-based activities aimed to inform, educate and raise awareness on subjects such as post-separation abuse, financial and legal abuse.
WALK THE LINE Creative Conference
Thursday 30th November 2023, 4.15pm
To book: CLICK HERE
Tickets are FREE - Donations Welcome
DRAMA FOR WELLBEING
Peter Brook once said 'I can take any empty space and call it a bare stage'
On 8 November 2022, Workie Ticket's stage was a hairdressers in Forest Hall for the launch of our Drama for Wellbeing Project. JoJo absolutely loved delivering a taster session at All That Sass Hair.
Thank you so much to Courtney for having us and we are so grateful to our amazing group who joined us for fun and laughter exploring image theatre, using props and learning about theatre practitioners.
Workie Ticket's 'Drama for Wellbeing' programme will be a six session workshop programme approved by a psychologist to help participants move forward from trauma. Our workshops are designed to build confidence, encourage self-care techniques, improve resilience and set realistic goals by using theatre practices and drama activities.. Sessions are based around the 'Five Ways to Wellbeing' pathways: Connect, Keep Learning, Be Active, Take Notice & Give. This model is used in the NHS and has been proven to help improve mental health and wellbeing. We delivered a set of taster sessions to female veterans who had told us that our theatre workshops had been instrumental to their Post Traumatic Growth. They really inspired this project along side other communities of women we have engaged with in the last two years locally to make theatre. We use the theatre techniques we have learned to help survivors of trauma find their voice, build new connections and relationships and build confidence to set and action future plans. These are always reciprocal relationships in which we learn so much from the women and their communities too.
Our 'Drama for Well Being' programme engages with women's organisations and communities to answer the call to bare witness to women's stories. Delivered by a fully qualified drama practitioner.
Contact Us for more information.
