History
In 1986 a group of people with learning difficulties from an adult training centre in Gateshead finished a short `Rhythm and Role project with two community arts workers, Geraldine and Katherine (currently our Arts Director and Chairperson).
Paul (one of the original group) said "we want to do more". They created the Lawnmowers, naming themselves after a line from a Genesis song. After `A Better Future For All`, `Cheeky Micky meets the Crocodile`and `Christmas night at the Palace`Paul asked "can we want to do something more real" and so started their unique way of working researching, devising, performing shows and running workshops about things they felt were important in their lives. They wanted to share this work with other people with learning difficulties.
During this time they have toured plays and led hundreds of workshops, performing all over including the Edinburgh Festival and International Festivals in Gdansk, Toronto, Galway and Barcelona. They have links with CTO, Rio and Opaxoro, Salvador de Bahia. Their workshops are highly interactive and make use of various forms of theatre including role work, forum and legislative theatre. They have appeared on lots of T.V. programmes and have produced many educational videos and DVD`s.
The Actors respect and have trained with Dorothy Heathcote and Augusto Boal, who have both created imaginative and inspiring drama and theatre techniques appropriate for exploring social change.
Today Lawnmowers are recognised as being leading experts in their field.
"Their journey from an affiliation of like minded teenagers to their present mature stance as a team of actors, devisers, performers AND the mundane back-stage back-up and skills so essential to all sound theatre enterprise has been steadily focused on their concern to better the lot of others". Dorothy Heathcote, world leader in drama in education.
Shows to Date:
• A Better Future for All (1987)
• Cheeky Mickey Meets the Crocodile (1988)
• Christmas Night at the Palace (1988)
• Mates (1990)
• Lawnmowers Strike Back (1992)
• Full House, Flat Broke (1993)
• The Big Sex Show (1994)
• The Right Wrong (1996)
• Love Death and Freedom (1998)
• Finger on the Pulse (1999)
• Walk the Walk (2003)
• The Elvis Experience (2004)
• Billy and the Big Yin (2005)
"Theatre is an important part of the development of disability culture….the work of The Lawnmowers is one such theatre group…they peform in places where the experience of segregation can be very empowering." Jenny Morris, Disabled Lives, BBC Education Publication
"The Lawnmowers are now recognised as one of the leading self advocating companies of people with learning diffuculites in this country." Mailout