Hearth & Sea was created by Ellen Carr, Kelli Des Jarlais and Christine Lee who previously ran Witness Theatre. In 2018 we realised our passion and purpose was shifting from solely wanting to put on theatre productions, to wanting to explore and offer creativity as a tool for wellbeing.
In June 2018 we went away on a company weekend retreat. We talked, planned and dreamed and the bare bones of Hearth & Sea were unearthed. Along with a very amusing hour spent trying to come up with names…
Why Hearth & Sea
The name speaks of security, comfort and warmth as well as wildness and a sense of adventure. These are the things we think creativity can bring to all of us. Inviting creativity to be part of our lives means accessing an innate tool that can help us feel secure in our selves and who we are, whilst at the same time guiding us towards curiosity and a sense of adventure.
The history of Witness Theatre
Ellen set up Witness Theatre in 2011 after graduating from University. She was joined by Kelli in 2013 when the experience of a train-wreck of a production and the creative possibilities of failure secured their partnership. Witness Theatre has staged the following productions:
The Importance of Being Earnest – Brighton Fringe, 2012
The Darkroom – Edinburgh Fringe, 2012
Window – Brighton and Camden Fringes, 2013
Brighton: Theatre Uncut – Circus Street Market, Brighton, 2014
Julius Caesar (set in a fetish club) – Brighton Fringe 2015 & 2016
Dead Bird – work in progress sharing, Brighton & London, 2017
Through our time working together we realised we wanted to make work about taboos in our society and create space for engagement with these. We developed a strong interest in the events and space surrounding a theatre production and in the community of the theatre audience.
In 2017 we received funding from Arts Council England to carry out research and development on Dead Bird – a project exploring our society’s relationship with death and dying. As well as making a piece of theatre we collaborated with a hospice partner (St Wilfrid’s Hospice Eastbourne) to run creative workshops with patients. This experience, and the response our workshops received, is what highlighted our desire to work more in arts in wellbeing.