London Bubble for London: Connecting Communities Across the Capital
2024 has been a year of incredible growth and connection for London Bubble Theatre as we’ve proudly expanded our reach across the capital. This year, we’ve had the privilege of visiting 15 boroughs, bringing our plays and programmes to new audiences and creating lasting connections in diverse communities!
Camden, City of London, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Haringey, Hillingdon, Islington, Lambeth, Lewisham, Redbridge, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Walthamstow, and Westminster.
At the heart of this expansion was the tour of our new play, Museum of Me, in partnership with the London Museum where, by 2026 we will have visited 32 schools representing all 32 London boroughs as the museum curates their Young Londoners Archive. This inspiring production celebrated the power of stories and heritage, sparking conversations about identity and belonging in primary and secondary schools. It was enchanting to see both staff and pupils alike across London embraced the play, turning each performance into a shared celebration of culture and creativity.
In addition to our touring work, programmes like Creative Voices and Way Into Work found new homes in boroughs we hadn’t reached before. These initiatives empower participants to build skills, confidence, and connections through storytelling, theatre-making, and practical workshops.
Why expanding our reach is important:
Expanding our community reach is critical to the continued impact of our charitable theatre company, as it helps us align with our values of inclusion, empowerment, and accessibility in the Arts. Working with a variety of underprivileged and underrepresented social groups across London – not only through our commissioned work but through our programmes like Young Theatre Makers, MAKE SPACE!, Tea Break Theatre, The Rotherhithe Shed and the latest establishment of our Young Ambassadors Group – we have been able to make theatre a means for personal growth and social connection; providing a creative space where participants can express themselves, overcome independent and interdependent challenges, and feel valued. By expanding our reach, we have been ensuring that more individuals who are struggling with social isolation or lack of access to the arts can benefit from the transformative power of theatre we provide – combating loneliness, improving communication skills, building resilience and fostering joy.
To us, our organisation and community, theatre has always been more than just a place to watch performances. It’s a space for people to come together, share their experiences, and feel a part of a society actively seeking equality. Many of the individuals we work with face challenges related to low self-esteem, limited social interaction, or lack of professional development opportunities. With our programmes we have helped participants build the skills they need to succeed in their life in whichever way they desire. Whether it’s performing to the public, presenting themselves with pride in interviews, speaking up in a group or simply finding their voice, we create long-term benefits to individuals – encouraging them to find reasons to succeed in their lives and relationships.
How expanding our reach drives our mission:
Founded in 1972 as a proposal by the Greater London Arts Association, our company began with a mission to address the lack of professional theatre in the outer boroughs of London as there was a clear need to bring cultural experiences directly to underserved communities. Our purpose was to ensure that theatre was accessible to all, no matter the location and this continues to resonate with our work today as we ensure that people from all walks of life, particularly those facing economic or social hardships, have access to the arts.
Expanding our community reach is a natural evolution of that vision, ensuring that our theatre remains a vital tool for connection, growth, and social change. Looking ahead to 2025, we’re excited to deepen these connections, revisit familiar faces, and expand our reach even further.
London Bubble is for London, and we’re committed to ensuring the power of theatre is accessible to all.
The theatre we provide at London Bubble isn’t simply for entertainment. Our theatre is powerful tool for healing and personal development to those who need our cultural resource the most.
And as we reflect on this year, we’re filled with gratitude for the partnerships, audiences, and participants who made this work possible. Thank you to our funders this year who have seen not only the value in the work we do but the value in the communities we serve. We look forward to maintaining the spirit of inclusion that defined our organisation and continuing to use theatre as a tool for social change.
And thank you for taking the time to read this article! We can’t wait to continue this journey with you, see you in the new year!
TB: Our offices will be closed from Friday 20th December and will reopen Monday 6th January.
Written by Luana Pontes, Youth Engagement Officer