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Next Door But One

Next Door But One is a multi-award-winning LGBTQ+ and disability-led theatre company based in York, promoting creative skills and encouraging community cohesion, particularly with those who face barriers to accessing theatre.  Founded in 2013, they focus on producing workshops, touring performances, training programmes and professional development opportunities for a diverse range of the community, including those with disabilities, mental ill health, those experiencing bereavement, those who are carers and individuals from the LGBTQ+ community.  Here we speak to Matt Harper-Hardcastle, CEO and Artistic Director.

A Social Enterprise Born from Community, Passion and Creativity

Where it all began

Having worked for regional theatres, universities, national campaigns and local charities, Matt Harper-Hardcastle, an award-winning theatre director, writer and facilitator, founded Next Door But One to create a home for all those who shared his passion for theatre, community and co-production.

"I set up a social enterprise mainly so that I could secure the work, commissions and opportunities in community theatre, which is my passion.  Myself and a number of freelancers shared the frustration that without being part of a registered body, too many doors remained closed to us.”

But it wasn’t just about professional limitations. "There were so many gatekeepers in large arts organisations claiming to do community engagement, when in fact it was very little - tokenistic, at best.  As members of the very communities we exist to serve - disabled, LGBTQ+, care-experienced – it was a flawed system.  How was it that the people who these community engagement projects were aimed to serve didn't have a place at the table to inform or shape them?  So, we set up our own social enterprise.”

People First, Theatre Second

"It’s the social value that underpins our ability to be financial sustainable - well, as sustainable as you can be in the arts!  This isn’t just a theatre company.  It’s a platform for co-created work, where the process matters as much as the performance.

“We often talk about people first and theatre second – and it is because of this model that we are able to apply for and secure a diverse range of trusts and foundations funding across multiple sectors of arts, community, health and education."

Main Challenges to Growth

The journey hasn’t been easy, says Matt.  "Core funding has been difficult.  We were project-funded for our first seven years, locked into delivery mode. There was zero budget for build capacity, infrastructure, sustainability or longevity.  That came much later.”

Another challenge was establishing themselves as a ‘player’ in the local arts and culture scene.  

"York is seemingly saturated with a large arts offer but it is mostly skewered towards tourism and heritage.  Our focus has always been on local communities and local residents, looking at what provision is available and meaningful to the different people here.  

“This often meant that our work often flew under the radar, because we performed in non-public, closed venues, inhabited only by marginalised communities.  If you weren't part of those communities, you probably didn't know about us.  That meant as we started to grow, there was a ‘Well, who are you? Where have you come from?’ mentality.  People often thought we were a ‘new company’ even though we’d been operating for 10 years.”

Defining and Measuring Impact

For NDB1, impact is measured in several ways.  Their Impact Study 2024/25 (which you can read in full here: https://www.nextdoorbutone.co.uk/Impact-Report.php) shows a total of 293 events.

  • 7,193 people attended live shows, community workshops and professional development opportunities
  • 3,203 watched their online content (Streamed performances, recorded workshops etc) 
  • 30% of events were specifically for audiences and participants with protected characteristics (women and/or girls, disabled people, LGBTQ+ etc
  • 38% were for school children and college/university students
  • 21% events were open access for the general public

The report also shows the demographic of the communities they are serving.  55% had caring responsibilities, 31% were disabled, 31% LGBQ+, 29% neurodivergent and 15% from the global majority.

Matt continued: “In addition, 75% of participants felt more confident after our workshops, and in trying new things, 68% felt our workshops had a positive impact on their mental wellbeing and 61% said that, because of us, they had increased access to arts and theatre.

“Finally, our team is made up of 34 freelancers - 28% are LGBQ+, 28% are neurodivergent, 16% are deaf and/or disabled or have a long-term health condition while 9.4% disclosed their gender identity is different to that assigned at birth.  These are all the ways we measure impact – and we are so proud of what we are doing and the life-changing differences we are making.”  

Collaboration as a Core Principle

Partnerships aren’t just useful, they’re fundamental. "Every project is co-created with local charities and services. That ensures that what we do is accessible, relevant and meaningful.  However, collaboration works both ways – and we have turned down the opportunity to produce events for large festivals or commissioned performances that didn’t align with our values.  For us, it’s that simple."

Current collaborators include The Snappy Trust, Camphill Village Trust, Converge, York Carers Centre, Our Time, the City of York Council and Clifton Green Primary School.

"Working in partnership also makes sure we’re complementing, not duplicating, what’s already out there."

The Power of Lived Experience

For Matt, the strength of the social enterprise model lies in proximity. 

"We are the communities we serve.  We’ve lived the experiences that drive this work.  We can adapt to needs and remain agile in a way others cannot which also puts us in a prime position to inform wider business and shape broader strategies."

In terms of attitudes, he says, things are beginning to shift. "There are a lot more opportunities to speak about inclusive practices in business.  We recently won the Inclusive Business Award at the York Enterprise Awards and the Practising Well Award at the Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance Awards.  This has helped put us in the spotlight and has led to training commissions from organisations much bigger than us.  

“They realise that there’s a lot to learn from small to medium social enterprises like ours on inclusive practices and meaningful business practices.  We rely so much on our people, we absolutely have to get it right.”

Future plans

Next Door But One has recently entered a new phase of growth after becoming part of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio.  "It’s been two intense years of expansion. Now the challenge is to maintain that level of engagement and delivery, to make this our new status quo."

Advice for Aspiring Social Entrepreneurs

"Do it!  Be brave.  Take risks early on and do the things that scare you.  I was too hesitant in the early days, for fear of failure or looking foolish!

What the Sector Needs

When asked how local businesses and policymakers could better support social enterprises, Matt says: 

"Understand our true value.  Too often, social enterprises are brought in at the end of a process.  We’re treated as an afterthought.  Then we’re expected to solve the problems that might not exist if we’d been involved right from the start.

“Meaningful business isn’t about size, it’s about intent.  We are showing that business can be inclusive, creative and deeply rooted in community, while proving that small organisations can influence big change."

Contact us

We’d be delighted to hear from you. The Enterprise Works team can be contacted via: