Theatr Iolo is an award-winning theatre company based in Cardiff which specialises in creating work for children, young people and families.
It was formed in 1987 by a group of theatre practitioners. Over the past 29 years Theatr Iolo has created over 80 productions and played to over 350,000 children and young people throughout Wales, the UK and internationally. The company’s core work is producing work for young audiences, defined as aged under 26. It is particularly known and respected for its work for early years (babies to under 5s) but has recently received acclaim for its work for young adults.
There are three strands of activity throughout the year:
Create - We create work for babies, toddlers, children and young people and regularly tour Wales, the UK and internationally with our productions. We also co-produce and co-create work with other companies. Recent partners include: Battersea Arts Centre, the Unicorn, the egg Theatre Royal Bath, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Bristol Old Vic and Ovalhouse.
Cultivate: We support artists and smaller theatre and dance companies through a variety of ways, either through giving them rehearsal space or producing, mentoring and marketing support or through our emerging artist programme, Platfform. This strand also seed-funds new ideas by artists including Christopher Brett Bailey, Caroline Horton and Polar Bear.
Curate - We aim to bring the best of theatre for young audiences and families to Wales, work we see and believe audiences in Wales should have the opportunity to see. We present this in partner venues through the country.
As an example of a year’s activity, in 2013/14, we toured eight productions which played to c.18,600 people in 307 performances, including representing Wales in the Commonwealth Games Cultural Programme at the Tron Theatre, Glasgow in 2014. In 2015 the company presented Dylan Thomas’ Adventures in the Skin Trade at Sydney Opera House and Arts Centre Melbourne in Australia, becoming the first Welsh theatre company to do so. The company currently has co-productions in development with Battersea Arts Centre and Consol Theatre Germany and commissions for new works from Caroline Horton, Seiriol Davies and Christopher Brett Bailey.
