Innovation Fund Feedback from our friend Jude at Rah Rah Theatre Company  

The Rah Rah Theatre Company (RRTC) was awarded the Innovation Fund to deliver a range of performances outside to combat isolation and build connections by singing a collection of feel good Christmas songs in outside locations, such as care home car parks, sheltered housing courtyards and vulnerable people’s doorsteps.

RRTC are a charity theatre company who specialise in using theatre as a form of therapy and have worked within the elderly community for over 20 years. They had received countless phone calls from their regular clients regarding the devastating effect that being isolated was having on their elderly community.

In December 2020 they combatted this by performing a show called “12 Days of Christmas” performed by a group of singers we called The Jingle Bell Singers.  The show consisted of a collection of feel good Christmas songs and comedy sketches. They performed the show in outside locations, such as care home car parks, sheltered housing courtyards and vulnerable people’s doorsteps. They also adapted the show to be performed online. 

Jude said “A smile starts on the lips, a grin spreads to the eyes, a chuckle comes from the belly; but a good laugh bursts forth from the soul, overflows, and bubbles all around.” She also stated that many of their audiences stayed indoors and watched through the safety of their windows.  Jude said that without the funding that we received from the Innovation Fund to purchase the equipment, we would have struggled to have been heard so well.

Jude fed back that the project was hugely successful and they performed at over 100 locations reaching well over a thousand residents, which was more than double the amount of places they had initially anticipated. She said that the equipment will continue to benefit our charity for many years to come allowing us them offer all their shows outdoors if needs be.

When partnerships agencies were asked to describe how they found the shows, the participants stated:

“Residents really enjoyed it, a break from the current Covid restrictions and stresses”

“It was wonderful”

“Very good singers”

“A truly wonderful afternoon”

“It cheered them up gave a bit of Christmas spirit a chance to sing out”

Jude stated that they plan to further develop the project to reach those in the community via different Covid safe projects including:

• An online Activity Pack to help encourage our audiences to be creative during lockdown. All the activities can be viewed online via a tutorial from one of our team.  
•  Online Antics, a fun, interactive online variety show. The show was performed to over 65 care homes and community groups last year.
• Sunshine Calls, a special call from one of our team to vulnerable isolated people to help brighten their day.