Writing Ourselves Well: Black Women’s Stories in Performance

We are requesting £50,000 to deliver Writing Ourselves Well: Black Women’s Stories in Performance and to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Applied Scripted Arc Projects CIC. This includes project delivery costs (£23,000), essential staff and running costs (£15,500), capacity-building consultancy (£8,000), and a small contingency (£3,500). The funding will allow us to deliver high-quality, community-rooted activities while building the organisational foundations to continue serving Brixton’s residents beyond 2026.

Writing Ourselves Well is an eight-week creative writing and play development programme for up to 20 local Black women in Brixton, running from February to April 2026.

The project will include:

·       Weekly creative workshops in accessible community venues.

·       A collaboratively written play reflecting participants’ lived experiences.

·       A professional performance at a South London theatre, such as Brixton House.

·       A short documentary capturing the creative process and its community impact.

The programme blends storytelling, wellbeing, and performance to improve confidence, connection, and mental health through creativity.

Our project directly supports Black women in Brixton, a group that faces multiple inequalities in mental health, wellbeing, and representation.

·       Nearly half of Black Caribbean patients experience multiple long-term conditions (King’s College London, 2025).

·       Black women are almost three times more likely to be diagnosed with severe mental illness than White British women (Shaw et al., 2022).

·       Stigma and cultural barriers often prevent women from seeking help (Black Thrive Lambeth, 2025).

By providing culturally safe, creative spaces, we aim to support mental wellbeing, self-

The project will:

·       Enhance wellbeing, confidence, and self-esteem through creative expression.

·       Build social networks and strengthen community connections.

·       Amplify Black women’s voices, increasing visibility and local pride.

·       Develop transferable creative and collaborative skills.

·       Strengthen Applied Scripted Arc to deliver sustained, community-led projects.

Participants will share feedback and reflections to measure changes in wellbeing and confidence. The project will also produce a community performance and short film, ensuring the wider public can experience and celebrate these stories.

Funding will enable us to deliver a professionally supported creative programme and sustain our organisation throughout 2026. It will cover staff costs for two co-founders and a company administrator, venue hire, facilitator and production fees, materials, marketing, and accessibility support. It will also invest in business development and financial consultancy to secure future funding.

We will draw on our existing local partnerships — including Raw Material Music and Media and Brixton House — to ensure genuine community reach and accessibility.

Applied Scripted Arc Projects CIC was founded by Emma Dennis-Edwards and Shereen Jasmin Phillips, who bring over 30 years of experience in applied theatre, script consultancy, and community engagement. As Black women living and working in Lambeth, we have deep community roots and relationships with local creatives and organisations.

Our expertise, lived experience, and authentic connection to Brixton ensure that Writing Ourselves Well aligns directly with the THINC Fund’s aims — tackling inequalities, improving mental health, and amplifying local voices. By empowering Black women through storytelling and performance, we are building a more confident, creative, and resilient Brixton community.