Steering Group callout - Benefits Quest

Pixel art title screen for a game called “Benefits Quest!” featuring large green lettering centred against a blue patterned background with crown motifs. Four stylised characters stand along the bottom of the screen, including a blue-haired character in a white shirt, a red-haired character in overalls, a dark-skinned character in a green hoodie, and a blond character in a black jacket. The retro-inspired design uses bright colours and a dotted texture reminiscent of classic video games.

Got something to say about the UK benefits system?

Your experience and views could help shape 'Benefits Quest', a new interactive theatre show currently in development in Manchester.

This is a paid opportunity, and you can be involved flexibly from home.

We’re looking for…

People with current (or recent previous) experience within the UK benefits system to be involved in shaping a new play.  

We are looking to recruit up to 8 people for this role.

This is a short-term opportunity paying a total of £150 for approximately 10 hours of work between August-October 2026.

This is a remote opportunity, and you can take part either online via Zoom or over the phone.

A performer stands center stage with their arms outstretched and an expression of excitement as dozens of sheets of paper fly dramatically through the air around them. They are dressed in a green outfit with a patterned scarf draped over their shoulders, crouching slightly beneath the swirling papers. The dark stage is illuminated by overhead spotlights, creating a strong contrast between the performer, the white pages, and the black background. Behind them, a large projected screen displays a colorful pixel-art video game interface. The game features a character inside a room with icons representing health and stress.
If you are concerned about how payment might impact any benefits you receive, please follow this link to find out more.

You will be asked to share your views and your reactions about the experiences you have had within the benefits system.

Your identity will not be shared in the play, and you will not be asked to share any information you’re uncomfortable with. If at any point we would like to use any elements of the personal stories you share within the actual play, we will ask for your permission to do this anonymously.

You will also be asked to look at some parts of the script and tell us your thoughts about it.

We are dedicated to making this process as accessible as possible. We will work with the successful applicants to ensure that their access requirements are met. Please let us know if you have any access requirements in the form below. 

If you have any questions, please email helen@theaudiencefriend.com

BENEFITS QUEST is a hybrid of interactive theatre and live video gaming being written by Elliot Hughes, a Mancunian writer brought up in long-term poverty by a single mother. Elliot has had to rely on many different aspects of the benefits system throughout his life – as has project game developer Cael O’Sullivan and other members of the team who have used aspects of the system themselves or supported others through it.

We want to create a show that tells the stories of the people struggling through that system, but in a fun, empowering way that casts us as heroes on an epic quest. Find out more about the show here.

Pixel art game screen showing a character labelled “Unemployed Graduate” with blue hair and no current job. A status panel on the left, in red and blue, displays health with four and a half hearts, a moderate stress meter, and £210.17. On the right, the character stands outside a damaged “job centre plus” building with cracked walls, broken columns, blood stains, and debris, creating a dark, dystopian atmosphere.

Criteria:

We are particularly looking for people with these types of experiences:

  • Single parents who claimed Universal Credit, Child Benefit, or similar benefits while their child/ren were under 5
  • People with disabilities who have claimed Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), or other similar health and disability related benefits (including those who have tried to claim and been unsuccessful)
  • Asylum Seekers who have claimed Asylum Support and/or have lived experience of being housed in asylum accommodation.

There are three stages to the application process:

  1. Fill out the short expression of interest form below.
  2. We will then be in touch with a longlist of applicants to ask for a short response to some questions.
  3. Finally, we’ll arrange a short, informal phone or Zoom chat with a shortlist of applicants so you can ask more about the project. 

(Please email helen@theaudiencefriend.com to request alternative versions of the form or provide your answers in a recorded message if you prefer.)

Fill in an expression of interest

(Please email helen@theaudiencefriend.com to request alternative versions of the form or provide your answers in a recorded message if you prefer.)