Mandala Theatre Company

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Mandala Theatre Company

We are a diversity-led company creating exciting new theatre with social justice at its heart. We give a voice to those whose stories are not heard.

Mandala – joining people together to empower, enlighten and transform. These are our four guiding principles:

To make visceral theatre using social justice as a creative catalyst. To employ, train and nurture young performers from diverse backgrounds, both ethnic and economic, in theatre for social justice. To give them the chance to perform and tour in a professional company. To bring new and pr

eviously unheard stories to mainstream audiences – and into the heart of those communities whose stories they are. We want to connect them through dialogue and debate. To work with communities and help them create their own artistic response. Mandala is a Community Interest Company. From our centre in Oxford, we aim to reach out to the world.

17/06/2026

Mandala Theatre Company is deeply disappointed by the decision of the Oxford Union to platform Tommy Robinson.

We stand in solidarity with all marginalised groups and communities.

10/06/2026

We are seeking passionate early-career theatre makers from Global Majority background (Ages 24-34) who are ready to embark on a transformative creative and leadership journey.

Over six weeks in Dahab, Egypt (all expenses paid) from late October to early December 2026, participants will be immersed in experiential learning and discovery of ancestral and historical civilisations, engaging with this ancestral land through creativity, ceremony, ritual, and cultural exploration. Through communal living, land-based learning, and cultural excursions, they will undertake a transformative creative development journey rooted in cultural memory, identity, and place.

Working alongside a professional dramaturg, writer, director, choreographer, and filmmaker, these early-career theatre makers will devise and create original stories, develop characters and scenarios, and to produce short films alongside a full-length touring play focused on identity, belonging and reclaiming their narrative.
Application Deadline: 20 July 2026

To apply, please submit the following by 20 July 2026:

- A self-tape introducing yourself and explaining why you would like to take part in the programme.
- A short expression of interest outlining your creative practice, aspirations, and what you hope to gain from the experience.
- A theatre CV (if you have one).

Please email your applications to [email protected]

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend an in-person audition on one of the following dates:

Birmingham

27 July 2026
28 July 2026

London
29 July 2026
30 July 2026

Further details regarding audition venues and times will be shared with shortlisted applicants.

Participants selected for the programme will work collaboratively to develop original creative work, including short films and a full-length theatre production. There is also the potential opportunity to be involved in a paid touring theatre production during Spring 2027.

03/06/2026

ANNOUNCEMENT 📣

Mandala Theatre Company has launched an exciting new project called “Heart Lab.”

Mandala Heart Lab will be a training program for global majority future leaders. They will explore themes of creativity, imagination through the lens of decolonisation and storytelling.

Global majority young people in the arts face significant barriers to leadership. Mandala seeks to change that by giving power to young people to create and shape their own narratives.

Across the wider cultural sector only 9.8% of managers and directors are from global majority. We need stories of global majority young people told and led by global majority young people.

We are so excited to launch this project which will take place over six weeks in Dahab Egypt giving the opportunity to young people to immerse themselves in creativity, cultural exchange and exploration. This will culminate in short films and a full length touring play that will tour in Spring 2027.

If you are interested in collaborating or working with us on this project drop us a DM.

Watch this space as we will be recruiting for young people to join us in the Heart Lab!

25/05/2026

Some more pictures of Trojan Women. We performed Trojan Women as part of Mandalas Tenth Anniversary show at the North Wall Arts Centre.

A powerful indictment of war and its affect on women and children.

Photos by: Ben Johnstone

18/05/2026

Trojan Women is one of the most powerful indictments of war ever written. In this new adaptation, Karim Alrawi brings the play into the twenty-first century, superimposing the Trojan War onto conflicts throughout history. The production centres women’s experiences of war, from ancient Troy to one of the most harrowing conflicts of our time — Gaza.

Despite oppression and loss, we are drawn into the hearts and minds of these women and their children: their dignity, pain, grief and love amid the collateral damage of men’s war and greed. Mandala Young Company transforms this classic drama into a moving and deeply relevant story exploring the humanity, courage and resilience of women and children in impossible situations.

We are excited to bring Trojan Women as part of the Rencontres Jeune Theatre Europeen 2026!

13/05/2026

🌱 Mandala Theatre Company’s 10 Year Anniversary Silent Auction 🌱

To celebrate ten years of storytelling, resistance, and community, Mandala Theatre Company is proud to present a special silent auction featuring “Grandmother Seed” by Nicole Rose Munahawa.

This powerful painting explores seed sovereignty, ancestral knowledge, and the enduring relationship between communities in the Global South and the seeds they have protected for generations. It speaks to the ongoing struggle against the corporate colonisation of agriculture by multinational companies such as Monsanto, whose control over seed systems has threatened biodiversity, Indigenous knowledge, and farmers’ autonomy worldwide.

The work is deeply connected to the ideas and activism of Vandana Shiva environmental thinker, seed activist, and founder of Navdanya who has spent decades advocating for biodiversity, ecological farming, and farmers’ rights.

Shiva’s work challenges the monopolisation of seeds and reminds us that seeds are not commodities, but living inheritances held in trust for future generations.

By bidding in this silent auction, you are supporting Mandala Theatre Company and the continuation of radical, community-rooted art and performance. You can bid via google form in our bio!

Bid here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSddakjstnFmpF2YpEk8YAgTJTuPxExAMJxplqEjUqUpRcf72A/viewform

11/05/2026

Trojan Women by Karim Alrawi superimposes the story of the Trojan women onto Gaza, retelling the experiences of women and children living through conflict, loss, and violence.

Directed by Yasmin Sidhwa, written by Karim Alrawi, and performed by the Mandala Young Company.

Trojan Women was performed as part of Mandala’s Tenth Anniversary double-bill show at the North Wall Arts Centre. It will be performed again at the Rencontre International Theatre Festival in Grenoble, France, on 29 June 2026.

Cast:

Astyanax: Rahman Brown
Andromache: Amber Lewis
Lady of the Graves: Celeste McCauley
Iliona: Maryam-Saliha Rahman
Hecuba: Anisa Rokib
Cassandra: Alysa Shahin

Choreography: Lati Saka
Technician: Ben Oakey
Videography: Ben Johnston

06/05/2026

Many thanks to all our venues partners and artists for all your support and effort in celebrating ten years of Mandala!

We had over 300 people involved and 250 people came to watch Incarcerating Eve & Trojan Women.

Watch this space over summer as we will be cooking up exciting new artistic projects!

Lots of love and light

Mandala Team

29/04/2026

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made our tenth anniversary celebrations so special! From inspiring panel discussions to vibrant exhibitions and unforgettable performances, it was a true celebration of creativity and community.

We were especially proud to present a powerful double bill of Trojan Women and Incarcerating Eve two moving productions that left a lasting impact.

Here’s to the past ten years, and to many more ahead!

18/04/2026

Join us as we celebrate a decade of powerful storytelling with Mandala Theatre Company.

Over the past ten years, Mandala has been dedicated to creating bold, socially engaged theatre that amplifies underrepresented voices, challenges injustice, and sparks meaningful conversations around activism and change.

This special anniversary event will be an evening of dinner, drinks, and dancing, alongside a chance to reflect on Mandala’s journey highlighting its impact in using the arts as a tool for social justice, community engagement, and education. From thought-provoking productions to outreach work with young people, Mandala Theatre Company has consistently pushed boundaries and inspired audiences to think differently about the world around them.

All friends, collaborators, and supporters of Mandala are warmly invited to join the celebration.

Date: Saturday 18th April
Location: The Barn, Nightingale Avenue
Time: 6pm onwards

To RSVP, please email [email protected]

Address

Oxford

Website

https://linktr.ee/mandalatheatre

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