Making films and making space.
Ask Mother is a film and production company built on two core beliefs: that stories have the power to change the world , and that the people who tell them should reflect the world we live in.
We create bold, original film and screen work driven by a strong visual identity and an authentic, human voice. But behind the camera, we’re doing something just as important: making space for people who are too often excluded from the industry.
Our education and training wing provides creative and technical skills development for people facing significant barriers to entering a career in the screen industry. In particular, we support young mothers, single parents, people with caring responsibilities, and LGBTQ+ youth.
Through workshops, mentorship, and direct work experience on our productions, we offer practical pathways into the industry and provide whatever additional support is necessary to enable participation, in each individual case.
One size does not fit all. We believe that too many voices and stories are going unheard because of an industry that doesn’t make space for their needs, and we hope to reconcile that!
About Us
Elinor Coleman
Founder, Creative Director
I’m Elinor, the founder of Ask Mother Productions. I’m an actor and producer based in the UK, and have been a single parent since I was 21.
I always wanted to be an actor. When I found out I was pregnant some people told me that if I decided to keep my baby I would have to give up on that dream. I’ve also always been a stubborn little shit, so naturally I decided to prove everybody wrong. But it wasn’t that easy.
My daughter is now fast approaching adulthood, and I’m pleased to say that I’m still here working as an actor- and now as a producer. But the road has been enormously difficult, and I don’t think I accomplished everything that I was capable of doing in my 20s and 30s- partly because I was busy raising a human and partly because the industry is not geared towards supporting mothers. A problem which is compounded if you are raising a child alone: time poor, resource poor, energy poor.
I started Ask Mother because I understand acutely the pain and frustration of knowing you have the capabilities to do something, but not the resources and infrastructure required to make it happen.
Our mission is to give a leg up to anybody who wants to enter the industry but is facing significant barriers to doing so, predominantly focusing our energies on young mothers, singles parents, carers and LGBTQ+ youth.