Update on Best Business Providing Economic or Social Contribution - Winner 2008

Founded by Kate Gorst, Altru Drama is a ‘theatre in education’ company delivering high quality, sustainable drama performances and workshops. The company was born out of a desire to use drama as a tool for social and personal change. Its mission is to enable individuals and communities to deliver a message effectively, build confidence and self esteem, encourage cohesion and, above all, to develop their understanding of themselves and the world around them.

Kate details how the prize money has helped expand the business: “With the prize money we won from the Morgan Foundation we have looked to expand the business by developing one of our projects and showcasing it to a larger audience.

“Our drugs education play 'Eyes Open' has been taken on a north west regional showcase tour, where we have shown the performance to teachers and individuals that work for organisations and councils with the budgets and power to commission the piece or recommend it to schools. This is to develop Eyes Open as a year on year revenue stream which will support the continued growth of the business.

“This has been a fairly costly exercise, as we've had our team of 3 actors and a director working on this for 3 weeks along with a short term administrator who has handled the invitations and bookings. We've hired community spaces in Blackburn, Manchester, St Helens, Knowsley, Wirral and Cheshire to deliver the performance and paid for the creation and printing of a new leaflet and information pack about the piece. We also hired a van and paid for teas and coffees! 

“We hope that, across the next year, we'll make £24,000 profit from this if we sell all of the available dates of Eyes Open. This would not have been possible without the Morgan Foundation and we hope this will be the thing that pushes the business to a new level. We have also commissioned a website and print designed to develop our brand and create a new website.”