The Mono Box
Our objectives
Established in 2013, The Mono Box is a non-profit arts organisation for emerging talent in theatre and film, co-founded by choreographer and movement director Polly Bennett - Bohemian Rhapsody (Fox), The Crown (Netflix), People, Places and Things (National Theatre) and actor and producer Joan Iyiola - Black Earth Rising, Enterprice (BBC), DỌLÁPỌ IS FINE (Netflix/HBO), The Duchess of Malfi (RSC).
The Mono Box provides access to affordable and continual training, writing and performing opportunities, rehearsal space, inspirational live events in the UK and digital content to reach artists across the world. In 2019, The Mono Box became an Associate Company of Hampstead Theatre.
Now in its eight year, The Mono Box has become a go-to resource for those looking for alternative routes of training, those searching for a like-minded working community upon graduating and those looking to enhance their skills as they navigate their way through the industry.
The Mono Box supports emerging artists in the fullest sense by connecting future collaborators and empowering the artist to take creative ownership.
AIMS
. Support young & emerging talent
∙ Provide access to a unique resource of play texts
∙ Encourage the personal, professional & social development of artists
∙ Equip young people with practical tools for the industry
∙ Form a collective that fosters and nurtures creative relationships
WHO BENEFITS
- The Monologue Library has received 19,634 hits on the website so far.
- The hugely popular Coffee Morning Q&A events welcomed 2,000 participants in 2020.
- Our guests have included Noma Dumezweni, Josh O'Connor, Vanessa Kirby and Lucian
- Msamati. All Q&As are BSL interpreted.
- We offered 36% of all participants bursary places.
- We continued our support of freelance working professionals (38% of participants) with ongoing training and inspiring events.
- In 2020, over 30% of participants were new to The Mono Box and through our online work. We engaged a new audience of regional & international participants making up 31% of all bookers.
- We provide regular employment to 12 core facilitators & over 100 additional facilitators yearly.
- During the first UK lockdown, we had 32,737 visits to our web page, of which 20,317 were new visitors. An overall increase in traffic of 264%.
WHY WE DO IT
In a year that has been perilous for the arts, we have provided a space that has continued to engage and promote theatre and film, and the value of artist development. The popularity of our online programme has demonstrated the value of content which can be used as a resource for the arts community. Through 2020, we have increased our audience of emerging artists, theatre lovers and industry professionals and continue to do so.
““Thank you Monobox for offering exceptional classes that have joyously enriched my life” - DEBRA ANN REGISTER
“Thanks for all the generous work you do to support actors and creatives - it's super appreciated” - CALLUM LLOYD
“The Mono Box is so important for all creatives wanting to explore and further their craft. It’s very rare to find something so accessible and fantastic quality. Run by people who truly care- thank you” - AMY HARRISON
“Thank you for providing such an invaluable lifeline for creatives” - MADI
Over the last 3 years The Mono Box has developed a new wave of writers through our new writing programme, PLAYSTART. Participants have since had plays produced at the Kings Head Theatre, The Yard, Vaults Festival, The Bunker Theatre, Rose Theatre Kingston, National Film and Television School and National Youth Theatre. Others have gone on to develop work with organisations including BBC Drama, BFI, Duck Soup Films and Royal Court Theatre. Our PLAYSTART alumni have also been recipients of the Adrian Pagan Award for New writing 2020 and have been shortlisted for the BAFTA Rockliffe Film Competition 2020, and the George Devine Award for 2020.
Our activities
WHAT WE DO
PLAY COLLECTION
At the heart of The Mono Box is a unique collection of over 4000 plays donated by industry professionals including Dame Judi Dench, Sally Hawkins and Michael Grandage and publishers Oberon, Nick Hern Books and Bloomsbury.
WORKSHOPS & COURSES
The Mono Box collaborates with leading actors, directors and practitioners to programme original workshops that offer an
alternative to conventional actor training at an affordable price. In 2020 we moved our workshops online via Zoom to keep our
community engaged and inspired throughout Covid-19.
PLAYSTART
For the last 3 years The Mono Box PLAYSTART, an annual new writing programme, offering emerging writers an opportunity to showcase new 15-minute plays in front of a public audience and notable industry professionals. All writers are mentored by an established playwright and the plays are published by Oberon. Writers go on to develop the plays with a host of theatre, film and radio organisations.
SPEECH SHARE PODCAST
Speech Share is our podcast where actors discuss their route into acting and performing a monologue. Season 1 features Patsy Ferran, Sir Simon Russell Beale & Pearl Mackie. Speech Share: LIVE launched at Hampstead Theatre in 2019, and featured Gina McKee, Kenneth Cranham and Sheila Atim. The podcast featured on Apple Podcasts New & Noteworthy List and Top Podcast Picks on Backstage.com, Bustle.com and Listen Notes.
Current downloads: 18,460.
THE MONOLOGUE LIBRARY
In May 2020 we launched our new Monologue Library of over 100 speeches recorded by leading actors such as Riz Ahmed, Emma Corrin & Denise Gough. This free, creative source of inspiration & resource for our community is available on both our website and iTunes. The collection has been widely praised and featured in The Stage, Whatsonstage, Sunday Times, ELLE, FT and the Guardian. The Monologue Library has be a source of inspiration for emerging talent, educational institutions and lovers of theatre.
FREE THEATRE TICKETS
ACE statistics revealed that 92-96% of theatre bookers are white. To create and diversify the next generation of theatre goers, we organise free or heavily subsidised tickets to shows incl. Misty (Trafalgar Studios), Cyrano (Jamie Lloyd season), and The Jungle (Noel Coward). The scheme introduced 100 young people to the RSC for the first time.