TOTAL Insight Theatre has announced Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA-nominated actress Naomie Harris OBE as a new Patron.

Globally renowned for her roles in the Oscar-winning Moonlight, as Miss Moneypenny in James Bond, and for the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Naomie Harris will be supporting the incredible work the charity does to provide arts and cultural opportunities for children and young people, especially those experiencing disadvantage.

Nazira Amra, Chair of Trustees, said:

“We are thrilled that Naomie Harris has accepted the position of Patron. We believe that her passion for performing arts combined with a commitment to children and young people will be instrumental in helping the charity to raise awareness of the vital work it is doing to positively impact children and young people’s lives through the arts, especially the important digital outreach we have been doing throughout the pandemic.”

Founder and Chief Executive Adam Tulloch added:

“We are very excited to welcome Naomie to Total Insight Theatre as our Patron. We are looking forward to receiving her valuable support in our endeavours to make the arts more accessible for children and young people, which is a key part of our ethos. Naomie shares so many of the core values emphasised by the charity, and she will undoubtedly serve as inspiration to both our team and those we seek to help who have struggles with mental health through to bereavement, and many more aspects of life that see them potentially held back in achieving their goals.”

The announcement of Naomie’s patronage is a welcome tonic for the charity as the pandemic had halted Total Insight Theatre’s in-person performances, which are particularly important to the charity and those it helps. This year the charity has used digital solutions to continue their support for children and young people with the launch of two virtual initiatives, including ‘Crossing the Threshold’, which connects young people across England, providing a space to process the trauma and anxiety brought on by the COVID-19 crisis. This has resulted in participants saying the project helped them to ‘embrace change rather than fear it.’ The charity also launched In It Together, a virtual creative hub that provides ongoing support for children and young people with weekly activities, offering both creative relief and access to vital tools to improve their mental health and wellbeing.

Naomie Harris said:

“I am delighted to undertake the role of Patron for such a fantastic charity. Small arts charities such as Total Insight Theatre are essential to our industry, and the way that this specific charity supports the young who may be facing issues such as bereavement through to mental health made me wish to support them as much as I can and ask others to support them as well.

“Without Total Insight Theatre, so many children and young people would not get the opportunity to engage in the arts. The charity helps make arts and culture accessible to more children and young people, and their work truly changes lives for the better through a range of creative programmes, and I am very much looking forward to helping them in their efforts to continue this great work.”

Total Insight Theatre is proud to have supported more than 15,300 children and young people since 2014, including many from marginalised communities, using the arts to tackle important social issues with children and young people to improve mental health and support their development. Symbolising strength and determination, Naomie epitomises much of what the charity stands for and what its projects hope to nurture in the young people the charity supports.

Total Insight Theatre’s flagship project, When I Was 14, won Outstanding Drama Initiative in the Music & Drama Education Awards 2020, praised for its wide reach and how it approached difficult social issues, including youth violence and mental health. This award-winning programme showcases the invaluable access to the arts the charity provides for children and young people. Working with schools, referral units, social services and youth centres across the UK, the charity provides a vital platform for children and young people to benefit from the arts, improving mental health and helping them develop lifelong skills.

For more information about Total Insight Theatre, please visit: https://www.totalinsighttheatre.com/.