NAKED FRANK THEATRE
Naked Frank Theatre are a physical theatre company, who specialise in arts engagement to support mental health recovery. Founded in 2013 and artistically directed by Carleigh-Ann Portelli and Claire Louise Portelli, the company use performing arts to; bring about social change, create opportunities for participation and exploration, reduce social isolation, promote self expression, instil confidence and self worth, challenge and test boundaries, enrich the experiences of vulnerable individuals and promote mental health recovery. The early stages of their documented work was limited by the intimate and sensitive nature of each project. Throughout the years, Naked Frank Theatre worked steadily to build strong and sustainable connections with partners whom continued to support their later projects. Naked Frank Theatre's transformation from a community based physical theatre company to a physical theatre company, who specialise in arts engagement to support mental health recovery, helped to dramatically broadened the range of projects being produced each year, and established their growing status as a pioneering platform for arts based mental health recovery. The companies work is bold and daring; serving as a positive voice for mental health and those still under represented in society. They push audiences to their limits; asking them to question their perceptions of mental health and reassess the very nature of what it is to be the "1 in 4".
Naked Frank Theatre host free outreach events, engage communities in arts projects, produce, perform and tour new and original theatre, film and VR productions, host participatory workshops and educational sessions, run campaign projects and collaborate with charitable organisations to provide engagement opportunities for vulnerable and disadvantaged people, with limited or no access to theatre and the arts.
Though not exclusively, they focus heavily on the forensic mental health sector, engaging ex-offenders in arts projects to rehabilitate and support the prevention of re-offending. Since establishing in 2013, they have maintained consistent partnerships with charitable Kent based organisations, providing on-site arts engagement to service-users on long term recovery programmes within medium secure forensic mental health facilities. Engagement opportunities include; acting, singing, music recording, dance, movement, writing, directing, theatre and film production; all of which are used to encourage; analysis, evaluation, communication, critical thinking, initiative, planning, practical competence, professional practice, team and independent work.
"We're not shy about challenging opinions and educating communities on controversial topics. We don't believe in making theatre for the sake of theatre. All entertainment must serve a purpose."
Naked Frank Theatre host free outreach events, engage communities in arts projects, produce, perform and tour new and original theatre, film and VR productions, host participatory workshops and educational sessions, run campaign projects and collaborate with charitable organisations to provide engagement opportunities for vulnerable and disadvantaged people, with limited or no access to theatre and the arts.
Though not exclusively, they focus heavily on the forensic mental health sector, engaging ex-offenders in arts projects to rehabilitate and support the prevention of re-offending. Since establishing in 2013, they have maintained consistent partnerships with charitable Kent based organisations, providing on-site arts engagement to service-users on long term recovery programmes within medium secure forensic mental health facilities. Engagement opportunities include; acting, singing, music recording, dance, movement, writing, directing, theatre and film production; all of which are used to encourage; analysis, evaluation, communication, critical thinking, initiative, planning, practical competence, professional practice, team and independent work.
"We're not shy about challenging opinions and educating communities on controversial topics. We don't believe in making theatre for the sake of theatre. All entertainment must serve a purpose."
MEET THE TEAM
CARLEIGH-ANN PORTELLI
CO-FOUNDER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Carleigh-Ann Portelli began her professional training at East 15 Acting School where she studied Physical Theatre. Over three years she explored a range of disciplines including; acrobatics, mime, commedia dell' arte, clowning, bio-mechanics, mask, aerial arts, suzuki, melodrama, puppetry, stage combat and contact improvisation. Throughout her training she was directed by such names as Filomena Campus, Mark Bell and Ian Morgan. During this time she also worked with a number of well established theatre companies including; Para-Active, Complicite, Odin Teatret and Jasmin Vardimon Company. In 2012, after performing The Darkside Of The Frame; a solo production written and devised by herself, she became the Assistant Director of Skinhead!, a touring production devised by Concrete Jumble, and directed by Sean Dupont. She then went on to establish NAKED FRANK THEATRE.
CO-FOUNDER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Carleigh-Ann Portelli began her professional training at East 15 Acting School where she studied Physical Theatre. Over three years she explored a range of disciplines including; acrobatics, mime, commedia dell' arte, clowning, bio-mechanics, mask, aerial arts, suzuki, melodrama, puppetry, stage combat and contact improvisation. Throughout her training she was directed by such names as Filomena Campus, Mark Bell and Ian Morgan. During this time she also worked with a number of well established theatre companies including; Para-Active, Complicite, Odin Teatret and Jasmin Vardimon Company. In 2012, after performing The Darkside Of The Frame; a solo production written and devised by herself, she became the Assistant Director of Skinhead!, a touring production devised by Concrete Jumble, and directed by Sean Dupont. She then went on to establish NAKED FRANK THEATRE.
CLAIRE LOUISE PORTELLI
CO-FOUNDER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Claire Louise Portelli began her professional training at East 15 Acting School in Physical Theatre, where she studied Grotowski movement techniques, corporeal mime, contact improvisation, commedia dell' arte, clowning, aerial rope, silk, cocoon, and static trapeze, acrobatics, bio-mechanics, butou, capoera, suzuki, melodrama, stage combat, mask, puppetry and stage management. During this time Claire was also directed by such names as Filomena Campus, Marcello Magni, Antonio Fava, James Sutherland and Rafe Beckley; and before graduating in 2010, worked on a promenade production of Georg Buchner's 'Woyzeck' with U.K. based theatre company Para-Active. 'H. H. Sexual Correct' was Claire's first devised solo piece of theatre. It explored the attitudes of society towards homosexuals and revealed the truth about gay love. 'What would happen if the straight person became the minority?' After appearing in Skinhead! directed by Sean William Dupont, she founded NAKED FRANK THEATRE.
CO-FOUNDER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Claire Louise Portelli began her professional training at East 15 Acting School in Physical Theatre, where she studied Grotowski movement techniques, corporeal mime, contact improvisation, commedia dell' arte, clowning, aerial rope, silk, cocoon, and static trapeze, acrobatics, bio-mechanics, butou, capoera, suzuki, melodrama, stage combat, mask, puppetry and stage management. During this time Claire was also directed by such names as Filomena Campus, Marcello Magni, Antonio Fava, James Sutherland and Rafe Beckley; and before graduating in 2010, worked on a promenade production of Georg Buchner's 'Woyzeck' with U.K. based theatre company Para-Active. 'H. H. Sexual Correct' was Claire's first devised solo piece of theatre. It explored the attitudes of society towards homosexuals and revealed the truth about gay love. 'What would happen if the straight person became the minority?' After appearing in Skinhead! directed by Sean William Dupont, she founded NAKED FRANK THEATRE.
OUR PARTNERS
As a non-profit organisation Naked Frank Theatre rely heavily on funding and support in-kind to produce work and run projects. The following partners and funders have supported their projects over the years.
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