Our Civic Family – Associate Artists
Barnsley Civic works closely with lots of different artists across art form, they are a part of the Civic Family and we want to provide a platform for them to reach out to audiences within Barnsley and Nationally.
We build long-term relationships with these artists and are their biggest advocates working with them to develop and present work, create exciting engagement projects and champion the social change their work can create.
Cross the Sky is our very own theatre company for autistic and learning-disabled adults living in Barnsley and the wider South Yorkshire area and has been part of Barnsley Civic since 2015 but has been running for over 20 years.
Our fifteen performers are led by Artistic Director Becky Newbould and Musical Director Simon Grainger. The group devise their own original musical theatre productions, inspired by autistic culture and our performers’ lived experiences as disabled people.
Mark Mark Productions is known for its energetic, visual street spectacles that blend comedy, circus skills, and improvisation. Founded in the 90s, the company has a knack for creating memorable, crowd-pleasing performances seen across the globe. With their weird and wonderful characters regularly popping up in our corridors, there’s never a dull moment when Mark Mark is in the building! Recent productions include Cannon Capers and The Great Fiasco, continuing their tradition of inventive, humorous performances.
Founded by creative producer and dance artist Tala Lee-Turton, Red Robin Productions facilitates storytelling at the intersection of dance and visual art. Tala believes in making work that bridges the imagination and social realities, informed by her civic role and lived experience as an intersectional Barnsley artist.
Her work is supported by platforms, venues and funders that include: Arts Council England, the Barbican, Invisible Flock, Girls in Film, Northern Ballet, Sheffield Theatres, Barnsley Civic, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Screen Yorkshire, and Reclaim the Frame. Red Robin Productions’ current work PIA is co-commissioned by the Barbican and Barnsley Civic and will premiere in Autumn 2026.
Natalie is a theatre-maker, performer and physical comedian. Raised in Manchester and now based in Yorkshire, she creates bold, tender work that sits between clown, storytelling and visual theatre.
She co-founded Uncanny Theatre, touring original work across the UK for over a decade, with performances at HOME Manchester, The Lowry, Transform, INcoming Festival and Gateshead International Festival of Theatre.
A Funny Women finalist, Natalie recently toured her solo show Look After Your Knees—a co-creation with international clown Jamie Wood exploring midlife through comedy and spoken word—and The Polar Bear is Dead, made with Italian theatre-maker Daniele Pennati: a show about loss, climate change and the Spice Girls.
Her work embraces the honesty of clown and the complexity of being human—playful, poignant and often absurd. She uses comedy to explore difficult themes in accessible, open-hearted ways, creating relaxed spaces where no one is the expert.
Natalie uses small ideas to shine a light on the more unwieldy ones. It can be autobiographical, although not always. Sometimes it’s about the pain of losing a parent, sometimes it’s about tiny little birds and often it can be about both.
A multi-disciplinary artist whose work blends sculpture and printmaking. Ailish employs a variety of materials to explore themes of objectification and ambiguity, creating highly composed pieces inspired by clothing design, folk art, and film.
With a Master of Fine Arts degree and over a decade of experience, she works across painting, film, and photography to create thought-provoking art.
Through the Bearsuit persona, Lucy combines personal narrative with the fantastical. Alongside her artistic practice, Lucy uses her years of experience to teach painting and drawing, offering creative work shops which cater to students of all skill levels.
Mon – Sat: 10am – 4pm
The Box Office will remain open prior to all performances and up to 30 minutes after it starts.
Mon – Sat: 10am – 4pm
VAT No. 971720318 | Company No. 05811804 | Charity number 1129765 | “The Civic” is the trading name of Barnsley Civic Enterprise Ltd.
