THE Reality Theatre Company, a community interest company, have been given a £10,000 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund for the creation of their new heritage project surrounding issues of gender inequality.

Thanks to the money raised by National Lottery Players, Reality Theatre can portray the impacts of second wave feminism on working-class women in post-war Newport.

The performance, planned to be shown in the summer of 2020, will feature the stories of women born before 1955 who took action to reform gender equality and roles and will take place at Barnabus Arts House, Newport.

Commenting on the award, Juls Benson said: “We are thrilled to have received this support thanks to National Lottery players and are confident the project will help to educate current generations on the struggles their mothers and grandmothers had to endure in order to ensure equality in the home, education system and work place for women today.”

To emphasise the extent that women’s lives changed post-war in an industrial town, an exhibition of memorabilia, photographs and music will accompany the performance.

The aim for the post-war feminism project is to use engaging theatre and music to give an insight to all generations about the women who highlighted the need for gender equality and how they attempted to face it.

Reality Theatre are an organisation that address social issues within Newport, aiming to retell the narratives of real people and have touched on social issues such as, caring for the elderly, loneliness and isolation, hate crime, domestic violence and mental illness.

Richard Bellamy, Director of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, highlights how the grant has benefitted Reality Theatre and societies history.

He said: “So much of our local history is woven into people’s reminiscences and experiences. Thanks to National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund is able to support such projects that conserve people’s contribution to their heritage.”

To find out more about The National Lottery Heritage Fund and its impact on people and communities visit heritagefund.org.uk