Taking Flight Awarded Major Productions Grant from Arts Council Wales
We are so thrilled that we have been awarded a Major Productions Grant from Arts Council Wales to support our production of The Mab that will tour venues in Wales in Spring 2027. Congratulations to Theatr Cymru and Welsh National Theatre on their awards; we’re excited to see their productions.
We’ve been awarded significant funding to stage The Mab, which includes over £40,000 of personal access support costs. The Mab is co-written by Eloise Williams and Matt Brown, and will be a landmark production for us. This award empowers us to enhance the production’s quality on an ambitious scale, allowing us to reach wider audiences with greater impact.
The Mab is an adaptation of the book of the same name, edited by Williams and Brown. It re-imagines the Mabinogi myths and legends that are familiar to us, exploring themes of grief, acceptance and women’s empowerment through the different branches of the famous myths.
Esteemed writer Branwen Davies and eco-led designer Ruth Stringer have been instrumental in the development of the production, providing dramaturgy and sustainable design input, and we can’t wait to work with them on the next stages.
As always at Taking Flight, we’ll be inspired by inclusive casting, ensuring our stories are told by Deaf, disabled, neurodivergent and non-disabled people. Our pioneering and inclusive creative access ensures that audiences can enjoy our work without barriers, and we look forward to bringing The Mab to life for all audiences. Alongside the tour will be a stream of outreach and engagement activity in collaboration with The National Library of Wales that will unlock the mysteries of The Mabinogi manuscripts to a new generation.
Taking Flight Artistic Director, Elise Davison said “I’m thrilled that Arts Council Wales have awarded Taking Flight a Major Productions grant. After nearly 20 years of working inclusively, creating work with Deaf, disabled, neurodivergent and non-disabled artists, and pioneering the use of integrated creative access, I’m so excited to give this work the platform it deserves.”
Writers Matt Brown and Eloise Williams said  “We’ve spent the last three years working with Taking Flight  and are thrilled that we now have funding in place. We cannot wait for audiences to fall in love with our story.”
This production has been developed alongside our Co-Producers, Theatrau Sir Gâr and The Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre. We started the development of The Mab 3 years ago, with the support of Sharon Casey in Theatr y Ffwrnes. We’re looking forward to further developing this relationship with Ben Lloyd at Theatrau Sir Gâr and Sharon Casey at The Riverfront.
Newport Live Head of Theatre, Arts and Culture, Sharon Casey added “I’m delighted to see this landmark production come to the stage, having been involved in its development over the past three years. The Riverfront is proud to champion inclusive and accessible family theatre, and to welcome Taking Flight to our main stage for the very first time, following many successful performances in our studio and at our outdoor events and festivals. This funding opens the door for even more audiences to experience their extraordinary work.”
Ben Lloyd from Theatrau Sir Gâr said “We at Theatrau Sir Gâr are beyond excited to see The Mab, developed here in Carmarthenshire, set to come alive in an explosion of creativity and ambition, on main stages across Wales. With the support of a Major Production Grant from ACW, we embrace the opportunity to showcase inclusive practice at scale, as a long-term partner with Taking Flight on the pioneering Breaking the Box initiative. We look forward to establishing a rewarding relationship with The Riverfront and cannot wait to share this exuberant, accessible and culturally significant work with our audiences in 2027.”
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