Wise Children Mentees 2025
Every year, the Wise Children's Training Programme works with a theatre company, offering access, mentoring and support for a year as the company makes some kind of step-change.
We are delighted to announce that 2025’s theatre company is
Hello World! We are thrilled and deeply honoured to be selected for Wise Children’s 2025 Mentorship Project under the guidance of the extraordinary Emma Rice. As three working-class boys from the North, this opportunity feels monumental as we prepare to take The Growth House to the next level.
With Wise Children’s support, we are eager to refine and expand our craft, from storytelling and devising new work to touring, branding, and business planning. Their expertise will help us build on our foundations while exposing us to new possibilities we’ve never imagined.
2025 is shaping up to be a landmark year for us, with the spring/summer tour of our flagship show BIG STRONG MAN, the research and development of our new project MEGA DENS, and an exciting company rebrand. We can’t wait to connect with new audiences, forge meaningful relationships, and create lasting change in the industry and communities we represent.
We are deeply honoured to have our work supported by one of the most influential theatre companies of the century. This opportunity is more than a career milestone—it’s a chance to reflect on where we’ve come from and the stories we carry with us. As we move forward, we are filled with gratitude and pride to represent the voices of our families and communities and to push the boundaries of what working-class artists can achieve.
Photograph: The Growth House
Previous Wise Children Mentees:
"As part of Wise Children’s Training Programme, we are delighted to announce that we will be mentoring The Growth House in 2025. When we met with Christopher, Sam and Peter, The Growth House knocked our socks off with their passion, energy and radical commitment to theatre and inclusion. They have an exciting schedule of work planned for the coming year and we look forward to getting involved and hopefully helping with all aspects of this thoroughly modern company!"
- Emma Rice
About The Growth House:
Since its inception in 2019, The Growth House has been creating thought-provoking theatre, rooted in ensemble storytelling and collaborative devising. Guided by their mantra, “DGUGO” (Don’t Grow Up, Grow Out!), they champion artistic and personal development that never sacrifices individuality or playfulness. This ethos fuels their commitment to creativity, experimentation, and joy, setting their work apart with boundless energy and imagination. The Growth House is dedicated to championing working-class stories and communities, ensuring these voices are not only heard but celebrated. They believe that culture should be accessible to all, not just to those who can afford it, and work tirelessly to remove barriers to participation in both the creative process and performance. In 2023, The Growth House became Associate Artists at Cast Theatre in Doncaster, where they found vital support and space to develop their unique work. Their flagship performance, BIG STRONG MAN, premiered the same year—an interactive working-class cabaret that explores masculinity and mental health in Northern England. Following its selection to pitch at Venues North in 2024, BIG STRONG MAN will embark on a full tour in spring/summer 2025. Their creative repertoire also includes Tales at Twilight, a spine-chilling and comedic reinterpretation of regional ghost stories, which began online during the COVID-19 pandemic and transitioned to live performances in 2023. They are also developing Mega Dens, an immersive, non-verbal children’s show where families create and explore their own fantastical worlds, set to continue development in 2025. Beyond the stage, The Growth House actively engages with their community. In 2024, they collaborated with Yorkshire schools on the National Theatre’s Speak Up project, fostering performance skills and confidence in young people. They also spearheaded ARTBOMB22, a vibrant city wide arts festival that showcased contemporary art from local and international artists. Comprised of a cohort of internationally trained performers and creatives, The Growth House brings expertise in movement, physical theatre, new writing, and devising. Their work is a testament to the power of collaboration, imagination, and the belief that theatre can build bridges, and inspire real change.