The Club is based in Harehills, Leeds and takes place Monday after-school at Hovingham Primary and Tuesday after-school at Harehills Primary and Shakespeare Primary during term-time. Each term we invite a range of diverse professional local artists to come and deliver new and inspiring workshops for the groups. Now in it’s third year, the Tutti Frutti Club has introduced participants to artforms such as craft, drama, storytelling, writing, music, movement, circus skills and puppetry.

We also run open sessions at Leeds Libraries throughout the year.

‘Tutti Frutti Club is good as it helps mental health, makes my Monday so much better, love the snacks especially biscuit’- Participant Feedback

‘Beautiful session, children engaged well and enjoyed the process of learning the song and singing. Some of them were amazed at how well they can sing’ – Teacher

Each year the Club explores a different theme through the arts. From the academic year, autumn 2024 to summer 2025 the groups will be exploring the theme our world. The Club provides a nurturing, inclusive space for participants to engage creatively and express themselves.

‘Tutti Frutti Club has been a great addition to our programme of events, complimenting it while offering something different to our usual repertoire. It offers children the opportunity to engage in creative play and movement exercises in ways they might not have before, helping to shape positive associations with physical activity and performance arts and to greatly boost their confidence. I think promoting the arts from an early age is especially important in deprived communities to combat the belief that art is not something ‘for’ them or accessible to them, and I am very grateful to Tutti Frutti for bringing this opportunity to my library’- Librarian, Compton Library

If you are interested in bringing the Tutti Frutti Club to your community space or school (after school hours), are a local creative theatre artist who would like to join our pool of workshop leaders, or if you are currently studying in the creative arts in Leeds and would like to offer some time to help run our workshops please email Arts Engagement Coordinator, Suvi Saraf, at suvi@tutti-frutti.org.uk. All our teams are DBS checked.

Tutti Frutti Club Impact Report 2025

Our 2025 impact report delves into the Tutti Frutti Club, sharing the experiences of those who bring it to life and those who benefit from its creativity. From our very own Tutti Frutti colleagues to the people who support our sessions, along with the talented artists and creatives who inspire, this report captures the difference the Club has made.

“Fundamentally, the arts are crucial to a healthy society. It’s something that we believe in school and the fact that young people have the opportunity to explore that part of their intelligence is very important. You could argue that creativity is the beginning of everything… our role in that is with young people in giving them the opportunity to find out how enjoyable it is and how successful they can be within that sphere.” – Julian Gorton, Headteacher at Shakespeare Primary School

Read our Tutti Frutti Club Impact Report 2025 (PDF)

We deliver the Tutti Frutti Club thanks to funding from Didymus Charity, The Mohn Westlake Foundation through the Leeds Community Foundation, The Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation, Sir George Martin Trust, Tesco Stronger Starts, and The Robert Gavron Charitable Trust.

‘The children’s sharing of their work was ‘GLORIOUS’ and (song writer) Stella involved the parents to sing with the little ones which was very special for them. The parents love sending the children to Tutti Frutti Club’- Teacher

Creative Team

Sonia Wrightson

Tutti Frutti Club Associate Artist

Sonia is an actress born and raised in West Yorkshire. She trained at Anglia Ruskin university graduating in 2015 with a Ba Honours in performing arts. Since graduating she has been involved in Star Academy for United Education Camp, and recently performed at the Pleasance Theatre in London.

Dora Rubinstein

Dora trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Credits include Cinderella (Cast, Doncaster), Digital Ghost Hunt (York Theatre Royal), Peter Pan, Aladdin (The Dukes, Lancaster), The Wizard of Oz (Leicester Square Theatre), Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth (The Young Shakespeare Company). She also performs and teaches circus skills such as contortion and acrobatics.

Carly Blackburn

Movement Director

Carly is a Movement Director, Choreographer and Yoga teacher. With over 15 experience as a Professional Dancer (London Studio Centre 2006 -2009). Recent work: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, Choreographer, Secret Cinema, Doctor Who: Time Fracture' West end, Movement Director, BBC/Immersive Everywhere, 'National Theatre Connections 2021' workshop Movement facilitator and ‘Swallows & Amazons’, Movement Director, York Theatre Royal.

Marcia Brown

Marcia Brown M.A (QTLS) is a Multi-disciplinary Community Artist and Qualified Teacher based in West Yorkshire. She graduated from Leeds Beckett Park University with a master's degree in Contemporary Fine Arts Practices. She is a recipient of the Edna Lumb Travel Scholarship and the Black Achievers Awards for her work in Community Arts.

Mariana Canadas

Mariana is a dancer, choreographer, teacher and creative currently based in Leeds who is passionate about making a change by collaborating on artistic projects in the community. Her prior experiences working in a creative environment include volunteering with the Tutti-Frutti after-school club; teaching at the Yorkshire Schools Dance Festival and acting as assistant to director Dr. Ria Meera Munshi.

Lence

Lence is a Rap & Spoken word artist from Leeds, known for a distinctive style of intricate lyrics, astute observations, compelling music and impactful live performances that explore his own experiences. His creative work sees him take on multiple roles from writer to producer and director to workshop facilitator. Lence has also delivered workshops for Kala Sangam, Royal Ballet and Opera and Leeds Playhouse.

Amily Galhand

Amily is a performance designer with a BA in Theatre design from the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts and an MA in Fine Art from Leeds Arts University. Amily has designed for The Everyman theatre Liverpool and the Hippodrome Birmingham. She is known for her puppetry which she has developed and created for festivals all over the world and with NowThen!, Cardboardia, Thingumajig Theatre and the Arts Council. Amily have been delivering puppetry workshops for the last eight years and continue to develop her love for the craft.

Sarah Cotterill

Sarah Cotterill is a Scriptwriter, Storyteller, Journalist and Arts Practitioner with oodles of energy. With a career in Theatre, Film & TV after a degree in Writing, Directing & Performance, Sarah was a founding member of RJS Productions, staging the seminal site-specific performance of Agatha Christie’s Olivier nominated courtroom drama, Witness for the Prosecution. She has gone on to work with the BBC’s Contains Strong Language Festival, Hull City of Culture, Leeds 2023 and acclaimed Northern National Portfolio Organisations such as Slung Low and Opera North, whilst regularly freelancing at ITV Studios.

Mary-Frances Doherty

Mary-Frances is an internationally acclaimed Actress and Theatre Maker from Northern Ireland now living in Yorkshire. She graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and has performed her shows throughout the world including in the New York New Works Theatre Festival and the Dream Big Children’s Festival in Adelaide, Australia. Mary-Frances loves being part of new and exciting theatre projects and is passionate about creating and performing theatre for young audiences.

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