New Worlds

New Worlds

New Worlds is our Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts funded project.

New Worlds is an ambitious project which puts the cultural contribution of learning disabled people centre stage and offers a broad spectrum of high quality arts opportunities to learning disabled people across the region.

There are three main elements:

Satellites – engaging weekly creative and performing arts workshops at Headway ArtSpace, Blyth, aiming to inspire new creative journeys. Read more about Satellites.

Seven Stars – our flagship performing arts company of actors who are learning disabled including professional training, development and performance opportunities touring locally, nationally and internationally. Read more about Seven Stars.

Supernova: Collaboration – produced a new play ‘Always the Bridesmaid’ by Mike Kenny with roles specially written for learning disabled actors.

Supernova: Conjunction – an immersive installation combining art-forms, with digital imagery and soundscape to explore and challenge perceptions of learning disabled artists’ contribution to ‘mainstream’ culture and platforming Headway Arts’ co-creative methodology. Read more about Conjunction.

We believe New Worlds aligned with our Come Together project (supported by The Big Lottery Fund) offers the region a most comprehensive high quality artistic programme which will champion & support fuller participation of learning disabled people in the cultural life of their communities.

We gratefully acknowledge the generous support of all our funders which currently includes:

  • Arts Council England
  • Blyth Town Council
  • Community Foundation
  • Edward Gostling Foundation – RW Mann Trust – Shears Foundation
  • Erasmus+
  • Great Northumberland
  • Hadrian Trust – High Sheriff of Northumberland – Rothley Trust
  • Heritage Fund
  • National Lottery Community Fund
  • Northumberland County Council
  • Postcode Community Trust
  • Scope
  • Sir James Knott Trust
  • The 1989 Willan Trust – Wellesley Trust
  • the Coalfields Regeneration Trust