About The Orpheus Centre
The Orpheus Centre is a residential arts and learning centre for young disabled people based in Godstone, Surrey.
Young people from all over the UK go for week-long residential creative courses, or three year independent living placements, and take part in a touring performing arts programme.
Orpheus acts up
A season of short courses in music, theatre, dance, poetry, comedy, music technology, and stage arts running from April to October every year.
Combining high quality creative tuition with a comprehensive care service, in a safe but liberating environment, these courses offer unique experiences and skills development to over 100 young people a year.
Each course culminates in a showcase in Orpheus' own Barn Theatre and on tour to venues around the UK. A key element of the 'Acts-Up' programme is the young non-disabled people who take part as 'Enablers'. 'Enablers' participate in the arts activity for free in return for offering practical assistance to course students.
Apprenticeships
As well as the young people who visit on a short-term basis, there are 12 disabled young 'Apprentices' who are on three year full-time placements at the Centre.
As well as participating in the courses, each Apprentice is on an individualised programme of activity according to their own personal and creative goals and will work on a one-to-one and small group basis with centre staff and sessional tutors, as well as accessing opportunities in local colleges.
Life-skills are developed through experiential learning and by virtue of living as part of the inclusive Orpheus community. Each Apprentice is also engaged in a Transitions Programme to prepare them for independent living in the community.
Orpheus reaches out
The Apprentices undertake many speaking engagements and outreach shows to schools, community groups and venues all over the region and further afield.
These can take the form of a performance, a participatory workshop, a training session in disability equality or a question and answer session. This is a valuable part of the Apprentices' learning as they get to meet a broad range of people. It is also key to challenging misconceptions of disability.
Orpheus rides out
The Apprentices and course students take their shows on the road every year to venues such as the Royal Opera House, Glastonbury Festival, London Zoo, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Notting Hill Carnival and the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.
Our history
The Orpheus Trust was founded by entertainer and musician Richard Stilgoe in 1985 to provide disabled people with opportunities in music and theatre.
Richard soon realised the power and potential of this work, and decided to create a permanent arts centre for young disabled and non-disabled people to live and work together.
In 1996 he gave over his family home in Godstone, Surrey, for redevelopment. Largely funded by the Arts Council Lottery, the Orpheus Centre was opened by Prince Edward in September 1998.
Such was the demand for places on the creative courses and three-year placement scheme, that the Orpheus Centre soon decided to expand and in September 2002 opened a new independent living block for young people to spend a year living independently before moving into the community.
The Centre's residential community now stands at 24 and well over 100 young people a year visit for the courses.