Open Theatre
30X30
For our 30th anniversary year, we are raising money to increase creative opportunities for young people with learning disabilities in their transition into adult life
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Putting Learning Disabilities Centre-Stage
For 30 years, Open Theatre has used nonverbal physical theatre to collaborate with young people with learning disabilities, creating quality theatre, film and outdoor events which reflect and celebrate their unique creativity. We work with over 1500 young people in special schools every single year.
We need your help to support these young people in their next steps into adulthood.
The least likely groups to get work (amongst all disabilities) are those with learning difficulties and with mental health issues
People with disabilities are under-represented in the UKs workforce, and within the creative industries in particular. Only 17% of all adults with disabilities are in paid work at all, and within theatre only 4% of artists identify as disabled. There aren't official statistics for how many people with learning disabilities are employed in the arts, but most estimates are substantially lower than 4%
Open Theatre bridges the gap between arts organisations and the young people who should be working with them.
We run projects & programmes which help young artists take their first steps into a professional career - including professional productions, mentoring from established artists, training, networking opportunities, and more.
Our approach is long-term and collaborative, creating deep and meaningful interventions across organisations, community, extracurricular and work settings to further the real-life prospects of the young people we work with.
Your support will help to create new opportunities for young people to take centre-stage. Opportunities like Over the Rainbow, our co-production with Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
Or Hansel & Gretel, our touring show which gave 5 young artists their first paid roles in a theatrical production.
Your support will help us to reach our goal of transforming the West Midlands into a place that truly supports artists with learning disabilities.
Help us to enable young artists with learning disabilities to take their place on the country's top stages .
Help us to nurture the next generation of role models for thousands of learning disabled young people in all areas of the arts.