Activoté is an original, physical, parodic, music ensemble theatre production devised and written in consultation with young people in Newham. See below for a review of the performance on Friday 7 November 2025 at The Source, Stratford.
The aim of the production was to encourage young people to gain confidence in their political agency (especially important now that this government is looking to lower the voting age to 16). Activoté aims to enable audiences to experience the value of their vote as their rights are gradually stripped away in real time.
It was the culmination of two successful tours to schools and Newham’s Youth Empowerment Zones in autumn 2024 and autumn 2025. After the performance, we held a forum for responses by young people from local youth projects, along with colleagues and students from UEL, including the Youth Empowerment Zones learning disabled young adults’ group. At The Source, on the Friday morning, we also had 150 young people from The Lamas, Azhar Academy, Eastbury Community School, and Eastleigh School attending the performance and workshop. The production also visited Plashet School and Lister.
This accessible, anarchic and comedic performance charts the exploits of four extremely hungry characters as they elicit the audience’s votes to win food. The characters communicate using physical language and an unknown language. What starts as contemporary slapstick soon takes a dark turn as two characters realise they can control what happens by deciding who can vote.
Through theatre, Activoté explored themes of youth empowerment, community responsibility, and personal growth. Activoté is directed and co-devised by Sasha Bonner (Creative Producer at Learning Stages) and Peter Moreton (AD at Learning Stages and previously RSC & Cheek By Jowl actor). Activoté was performed and co-devised by UEL alumni Thomas Clues, Inés Coulon, Ashley Lyon Durant, Lucky Oluchukwu Elueme and Linda Fernandes, as part of a successful pilot graduate employment programme.
Activoté was developed by Learning Stages (formerly Applecart Arts) in partnership with the University of East London and Newham’s Youth Empowerment Services, and funded by Culture In Newham, the British Arts Council, Youth Empowerment Services and The Source.
Review of Activoté at The Source
The play empowers young audiences to recognise the value of their political agency. Having toured over the past year, Activoté continues to inspire young audiences, impressing on them the power of the personal voice and the importance of safeguarding everyone’s right to participate in society, especially when discussions about lowering the voting age to 16 are becoming increasingly prominent. This theatre production explores what happens when voting rights are restricted within a society. It follows four hungry characters who compete for the audience’s votes in exchange for food. As the performance unfolds, the light-hearted competition darkens, revealing how easily power can shift when some individuals decide who gets to vote and who does not.
I was interested in what this play had to offer. When I arrived, I was invited to a sit in a circle before the play began, in the foyer. We went around the circle introducing ourselves and saying what led us here: some said they were invited and my mum said she was curious. This influenced the next conversation where I talked about what I am studying at university (social work) and what that role would look like. Another individual then mentioned that social work involves professional curiosity – a comment that really sparked an interest in me and left me reflecting on the way home. This interaction prepared me for the play to come. The play explored themes of greed and corruption, using gibberish and physical theatre. I believe it did not need understandable speech for the audience to grasp the concept of the play and, in fact, this made it more accessible. The play explored the fine line between dictatorship and democracy and, in relation to today’s society, explored how often individuals are given the idea of choice but the reality does not reflect this.
Bjanca Phillips, second year BA (hons) Social Work student at UEL
I am always interested in my daughter’s university learning experience as she always keeps me up to date on her placement journey and work she has to do, she invited me to this play being organised by her university. This was my first time going to a theatre and all I can say it was a great experience; it showed me the importance of sharing and how people in a higher position mistreat people lower than themselves. If I was to take something away from this play, it would be making a positive out of any situation to try and improve society. (Christine, Bjanca’s mother)
Critical Reflections on Activoté
Resources for schools and participants
In Youth Zones: Any young person from across the borough can come and join the team who co-deliver Youth Citizens Assemblies (Today Not Tomorrow). Young people run creative, interactive termly events themed on an issue they want to address to bring about change.
Contact cassandra.delisser@newham.gov.uk for more info.
In School & Youth Zones: Put yourself forward to be a member of the UK Youth Parliament.
Contact tim.aldcroft@newham.gov.uk for more info.
Additional resources available
The Politics Project: At the Table Toolkit – a list of exercises to help explore democracy, UK politics and communities.
What you can do to check for media bias – SIFT
- Stop – Before reading or sharing, take a moment to consider what you know about the source and your own emotional response.
- Investigate the source – Learn about the source’s reputation, funding, and potential biases before reading the content itself.
- Find better coverage – Look for other reputable sources or fact-checkers to corroborate the information or provide a broader context.
- Trace claims, quotes, and media to the original context – Find the original source of a claim or data to ensure it hasn’t been taken out of context or misrepresented.
Other resources
Glossary of Terms
Agency – a person’s ability to act, make choices, and bring about change, if they want to – whether big or small.
Civic engagement – getting involved in your community or in public life – this could mean getting involved by volunteering, signing or starting a petition, joining a peaceful protest, volunteering and helping out in the community, or speaking up about what matters to you.
Civil society – the organisations, groups, and individuals (outside of government) who help shape and support their communities – like charities, youth groups, campaigners, and community organisers.
Democracy – a system of government where people have a say in how things are run – usually through voting and choosing representatives.
Democratic institutions – the formal systems that help run our democracy – such as Parliament, local councils and courts.
Democratic participation – taking part in how decisions are made – such as registering to vote and voting; putting yourself forward as a candidate in elections; or taking part in discussions to help make decisions in your local area or region, or across the country.
Democratic processes – the practical ways democracy works – such as elections, debates, making laws, and holding leaders accountable.
Elections – when people vote to choose who represents them – locally, regionally, nationally or internationally.
Non-partisan – not supporting or promoting any political party. Being non-partisan means making space for all views and helping people explore their own opinions freely.
Policy – plans or rules that guide how organisations, governments, or people make decisions and take action. In a democracy, people can have a say in policies about things like housing, education, health, the environment, and more.
Politics – how decisions are made about many aspects of our lives: who has power, how they use it, and how to influence decisions. It’s not just about politicians or parties; it’s also about the issues people care about, the people who represent us, and the systems that shape our local area, region, country and the world.
Power – the ability to make decisions, influence others, or shape how things work. Power can exist in individuals, governments, communities, institutions, or everyday relationships.
Representative: Someone (such as a Member of Parliament or councillor) who is elected or chosen to speak or act on behalf.
