acta is a Community Theatre with a base, and eighty-seat theatre, in Bedminster, the beating heart of Bristol.
Since 1985, we have been working to bring together people from different cultures, experiences, and generations to make and share creative work. To do this we run several different regular open access creative groups, often with a focus on theatre, in Bedminster and beyond. We believe creativity belongs to everyone, and everyone has a story to tell. acta is a place where everyone’s story matters, where individual opinions and experiences count, and are valued by others. We enable communities to share their stories, and engage audiences who rarely attend theatre.
‘The best thing about acta is bonding with a group and feeling a sense of belonging’
an acta participant
We work to engage people who are underrepresented in the arts, including isolated older people; migrants, refugees and asylum seekers; vulnerable young people; disabled people. Through our work, we raise aspirations, we improve skills, confidence, self-worth & employability, we reduce isolation and very importantly, we have fun.
Alongside our core engagement work, we also provide professional development opportunities for others, helping to shape the next generation of Community Theatre practitioners. We reinvent these programmes regularly, in order to keep our work relevant as we respond to changing times.
“Acta breaks down barriers for those who want to join the arts, either as a participant or to work; acta helped me achieve in the arts.”
Jody Cook, acta Associate
