We are proud to have partnered with theatre company Grand Ambition to bring a play with a powerful message to the stage. MumFighter explores the obstacles faced by the mother of a disabled child, fighting for the support needed for them to reach their potential. It’s a moving, exhilarating and essential play about resilience, hope, and going the distance.

It’s a story that resonated with us as our mission is to support families who have children with neurological conditions, such as Cerebral Palsy, to overcome challenges and discover a better life together.

Cerebra Trustee and parent, Isabel Shapiro, explains why the play is so powerful and why it will strike a chord with so many families:

“Life as a parent-carer is a rollercoaster. The everyday experience of caring for a disabled child is full of love and joy. But there can also be isolation and despair – daily battles for the care that your child needs and for the wellbeing of the whole family. To see these ups and downs brought to life so powerfully on stage is rare. By putting the spotlight on the shared experience of parent-carers, Mumfighter brings hope through solidarity, motivating anyone who is lucky enough to see the play to demand change”.

Beverley Hitchcock, Head of Research and Information at Cerebra, explains how the partnership came about:
“MumFighter is a story close to Cerebra’s heart. Every day we hear from families who are struggling to access the services they are entitled to. The challenges they face can be overwhelming and to see the struggles that families across the country face on a daily basis portrayed in MumFighter is very powerful. Through our work we not only give individual families support, but aim to break down barriers, change policies and implement changes that will benefit society as a whole. After attending the Research and Development staging of the play last year we knew we had to be a part of bringing this important production to a wider audience”.

The play is rooted in real, lived experience that resonated with the whole team – from the writer, the director and production team to the families who took part in research for the story.

MumFighter’s critically acclaimed playwright, Tracy Harris, who is originally from Swansea, is a writer, theatre-maker & award-winning filmmaker. She explains her motivation in writing the play:
“My son who is 8 now has Cerebral Palsy and when he was born, I think the whole shock of that diagnosis and also being kind of put into this world of disability that I knew nothing about and also being a first-time parent, not really knowing the system. Not knowing how things worked has influenced the play a lot, but the play is also a fiction, so the child in the story is a girl. And although it’s based on my experiences, I’ve tried to use real experiences to show a bigger story that other people will be able to relate to. If you’re a carer, if you’re a parent, if you’ve cared for anybody, really. It’s about care in general. I think it’s about empathy for people and people’s stories and journeys, and I think it’s about fighting. It’s about having some balls and getting back up and fighting for what you believe in”.

Director Richard Mylan has a longstanding connection with Cerebra and explains:
“Mumfighter is rooted in writer Tracy Harris’s lived experience of parenting a child who has Cerebral Palsy and was written following research and consultation with other parents across South Wales. It explores the obstacles faced by the mother of a disabled child, fighting for the support needed for them to reach their potential. As a parent of an autistic child myself, it feels very personal to be sharing this story on home turf”.

Cerebra Ambassador and actress Cara Readle has been involved in the project from the start:
“I was a part of the research and development process on MumFighter last year as a consultant, someone with lived experience of Cerebral Palsy. This year I was lucky enough to be invited back as Associate Director for the rehearsals ready for the first run of the show. This is my first time in a role like this and I’m so grateful to Grand Ambition for the opportunity. Mumfighter quickly became really close to my heart and I feel privileged to be a part of it and with such an amazing team. It is so important to have a piece of theatre like this, it is a truthful story written beautifully by Tracy Harris and will resonate with so many people”.

The innovative partnership has not only led to Cerebra’s Innovation Centre part-building the set, but also to the charity offering free tickets to the parents and carers it works with across the region. The involvement of carers in the project has been of key importance with community carers events planned for people to share their stories and view rehearsals of the play.

MumFighter has received National Lottery and Welsh Government funding via Arts Council Wales, UK government SPF funding via Swansea Council, as well as funding and support from Ty Cerdd, the Postcode Lottery Community Trust, Aligra, Cerebra, Swansea Carers’ Centre and Learning Disability Wales.

The play runs from Tuesday 15th to Friday 25th October 2024 at the Grand Theatre in Swansea.