We're an arts charity with a simple vision: we want people to have more fun. From interactive events that empower communities to make positive changes, to creative education that inspires the next generation to grow; our mission is to turn play into purpose.
OUR STORY: FINDING FREEDOM IN FUN
At Root Experience we’ve always been fascinated by the transformative power of play. And, for us, it all started on the stage.
Initially as a theatre company we devised immersive performances that challenged the conventional actor-spectator relationship. Using theatrical techniques and constructs, we’d assemble a communal space in which audiences could contribute their own stories, shape their own experiences and even reconsider their roles in the ‘real’ world. We well and truly knocked down the ‘fourth wall’.
This got us thinking about how we could use drama and improvisation to help people better connect with one another in their communities, classrooms and creative spaces.
So we started making interactive shows, events and games where our participants could challenge their own perceptions and ask provocative questions of society.
And we developed educational programmes to help teachers and children to find their creative voices. We also travelled the world to teach people the art of facilitation, showing them how to better channel their creativity to inspire it in groups of all ages.
Throughout this journey, we’ve discovered just how powerful gameplay and drama can be. In shifting social boundaries. In breaking barriers to learning, self-expression and empathy. And in encouraging us to interact without fear of judgement. Fun is freedom. And we’ve found that having fun and diving in – feet first – is the best way to grow.
So come play, connect and create with us… The water’s lovely.
what we do
We devise thought-provoking events that turn our audiences into players, inviting them to reimagine themselves and the world around them.
We often run workshops to invite collaboration and participation in our projects. Creating a space for free expression is at the heart of what we do.
We help schools inspire kids to learn through their imaginations, with in-class workshops, interactive storytelling and bags of teachers’ resources.
We tailor-make eye-opening shows that get kids engaged, excited and involved in confidence-boosting and mind-expanding adventures.
MEET THE TEAM
SIMON MAGNUS
Artistic Director (biggest kid in the room)
I’ve clocked up many years of running theatre companies, directing and producing arts projects and facilitating workshops with all sorts of people – children, teachers, fellow artists, acrobats. One lesson has stood out for me along the way, and that’s the importance of finding the playfulness in our practice. Because with playfulness comes a much more honest and powerful creative presence.
Since my days at theatre school (Rose Bruford College, if you’re interested), I’ve been engrossed in how we can engage with our audience in a way that empowers them to shape their own experiences. I believe drama, as a window into our imaginations, has the ability to strengthen all sorts of areas in our lives. The important thing is to focus it on a purpose that’s meaningful for the individual, whether that’s confidence building, creative expansion or better language skills.
Alongside Root Experience work, I'm also a dramaturg for other plays and projects – such as What Is It About That Night, a musical with Catherine Ireton that’s based around the backstages of old theatres; and a one-woman show by Jules Craig about avant-garde poet Edith Sitwell.
simon@rootexperience.org
07772 661 839
