What We Do
We create uplifting children’s shows and workshops using physical theatre, musical instruments, mime, puppetry, and clowning.
We share these performances with some of the world’s most vulnerable children.
We work in refugee camps, slums, orphanages, hospitals, rural schools, and special needs centres.
We have worked with amazing organisations such as
plus many more…
“Wind-Up Penguin Theatre Company are the best thing that ever happened to children's theatre. All the children (and lots of the mothers) from the squat came along and were totally entranced for more than two hours. Syrian, Afghani, Greek, Canadian, Kurdish, English, Pakistani, all were equally entranced by the performance. We all roared like lions, we clapped and stamped, we passed hot potatoes and released birds into the sky. We all had a wonderful time from the smallest (about 3) to the biggest (about 70). These guys are just the best and everyone was SO happy by the end of the show and we can't wait to see them again. Thank you.”
— Judi Miles, Fifth School Squat in Athens
Our story
Passion is the strongest of drives. In 2012, myself (Elisabeth) and Ioana, two classical first-year students at the Guildhall School, were driven to combine our previous experience in the humanitarian sector, and our passion in the transformative power of live performances. We got a group of Guildhall students - friends - together, to bring a children’s show in orphanages in Romania. The experience was transformative, humbling, and strongly needed.
‘Let’s go back next year!’
And we did… with a group twice the size! Our classmate Carlos then organised a performance tour in Colombia, schoolmates Chavdar and Bozhana brought us to perform in Bulgaria…
We didn’t organise the first Romania tour, intending to start a whole movement. The movement happened. Dozens of students, from the Guildhall School then from other conservatoires (RADA, RCM…), were desperate to join our unique performing-focused humanitarian troupe. With rising notoriety and expertise, we started bringing students on humanitarian performing tours in all corners of the world. With many children fleeing conflicts in the Middle-East, our artistic breath of fresh air was needed more and more.
Fast forward to now: we have involved 100 students and young performers in sharing the joys of live theatre with 50000 children. We are just getting started. Thank you for following us!