Ellesmere Port couple recognised on King's Birthday Honours

Laura Jane Newton-Harris BEM, 39, and her wife Terasa Newton-Harris BEM, 43, are the joint owners of community art space, The Boaty Theatre Company in Ellesmere Port.

What is The Boaty Theatre Company?

This has provided an important cultural focal point for the town, a creative outlet for young people in the community, and a valuable community resource.

The couple first started the Boaty Theatre Company in 2010 at the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port, first as an informal club and then as a registered charity, to create a theatrical production for the museum.

Following the success of this production, they became better known locally and were formally established as a local community theatre company.

Since that time they have provided a space for local people, particularly young people, to experience theatre, whether from the audience, from the stage, from the wings, or in the technical and production side.

As well as performing locally, they have brought their productions to theatrical festivals, including nationally recognised events such as the RSC’s Summer Dell festival in Stratford-upon-Avon and the Edinburgh Fringe.

Throughout this period, they undertook this work on a voluntary basis, with money raised from performances, and latterly from other revenue sources as they expanded their operations, put back into the charity.

They recently secured Arts Council funding for the Company which in part went to pay their first-ever wage for their effective full-time work on the charity.

Members of The Boaty Theatre Company (Image: Laura Harris)

The Boat Shed...

In February 2020 they expanded their offering to the local community by securing larger premises for their theatre and opening the Boat Shed Community Hub, a community space dedicated to the arts and the creative arts in particular.

The Boat Shed encompasses a community café, art gallery and creative spaces, as well as rooms for hire, which assist in funding the operation.

They have used this space to offer a range of new activities to support a range of new creative arts, alongside their core theatrical work, including a writers café, a weekly guitar workshop, a book club and a crafting club, as well as Sunday Socials, where attendees craft, make music together, socialise and share skills.

During lockdown, they continued to provide their service, by hand delivering over 400 handmade activity packs to families in need in Ellesmere Port.

Speaking to the Globe about being recognised, Laura said: "We received a letter in the post and it had a Westminster gate stamp, and we were like 'oh my gosh what on Earth is this?' as we've had quite the time recently.

"We just laughed and cried. We don't do stuff for recognition but to know we've been recognised and we are making a difference to people just feels incredible.

"It's just been so surreal. We just want to say thank you to whoever put us forward and thank you for the recognition, it is a massive honour.

"We will continue to do what we do, and despite anything that comes in our way we will get back up again."