11 Frantic Assembly Team members.

15km of hills, woods, ditches and lots and lots of mud.

20 fiendish obstacles.

1 Goal: To raise money to support Frantic Ignition

Ignition is Frantic Assembly’s free, nationwide talent development programme for young people aged 16 – 24. Despite running successfully since 2008, Ignition had to be suspended in 2024 owing to a lack of funding. Determined not to lose this vital resource we launched a fundraising campaign to bring Ignition back in 2025 and secure its long-term future. Ignition's absence has been acutely felt, resulting in significant fundraising and industry support for it.

But we still have funds to raise which is why we are taking on the Tough Mudder challenge on May 10th!

Ignition embodies Frantic Assembly’s ethos of collaboration, empowerment, and continuous improvement. As with Tough Mudder, we recognise that we are able to achieve more when we work together and lift each other up. The transformations we see in our Ignition participants takes, like Tough Mudder, hard work, determination, discipline, team work and fun.

11 members of the Frantic Assembly team, some of them Ignition graduates themselves, are taking the plunge and attempting the Tough Mudder challenge to raise money to help bring Ignition back and continue to support the work it does.

Please help us to reach our target by making a donation as we run, jump, slip, slide, fall, sweat, laugh and get very muddy all in the cause of Ignition! Together we can make a difference. Thank you!

About Ignition

Ignition sets out to find people with the potential to work in the Arts. People who may never have considered it for all kinds of social and economic reasons. It opens the door for them, tells them they can be part of it and that their voice and presence is not only welcome but needed. Collaborating with 12 regional venue partners we proactively find these young people, creating opportunities to engage, experience and develop a relationship with Frantic and their local arts venues.

Since 2008, Ignition has empowered more than 10,000 young people from diverse social backgrounds, becoming the cornerstone of our mission to democratize access to the arts. It fosters new talent and actively breaks down socio-economic barriers to participation. Of the 1,000 young people engaged in our 2023 cohort, 75% had no prior arts experience, 50% came from working-class backgrounds, and 25% were from the Global Majority. 

Ignition has a transformative impact. It demonstrates the potential of young people; to themselves and to the Arts sector, bringing real change and tangible results. It highlights the importance of opportunities for people from traditionally excluded backgrounds to access the arts and to support them to build and sustain careers.  

Ignition alumni can be seen on professional stages across the world, in film and TV and work in all aspects of the creative arts, from writing to film making, from choreography to design. One third of the Company’s 23 freelance practitioners (and 2 of those taking part in this Tough Mudder Challenge) are Ignition graduates. By unlocking the creative potential of young people, we not only enhance the diversity of voices in the arts but also contribute to the future of British theatre.   

Ignition embodies Frantic Assembly’s ethos of collaboration, empowerment, and continuous improvement. It focuses on fostering creativity and excellence in theatre.

The profound and lasting impact of Ignition on its participants is evident and the testimonials from alumni highlight the transformative nature of the programme, showcasing how it has opened new opportunities and pathways that were previously inaccessible: 

Paapa Essiedu - BAFTA and Olivier Award Nominated stage, film and TV actor. Ignition graduate 2008.