The Piper Arts Centre has reached an exciting early milestone, hosting its first pantomime performance on Monday, 8 December. Three separate showings took place throughout the day, for our Lower School, Post-16, and Young Adult Provision groups.

Thanks to the engaging performance delivered by Playhouse Pantomimes, and the supportive environment created within the Piper Arts Centre, the day was a great success. Around 95% of young people at Prior’s Court attended the showings, with absences largely due to illness. Importantly, there were no incidents involving any young people across all three performances. This reflects the value of having a purpose-built arts centre where sensory needs, space, lighting and sound can all be managed with care.

The pantomime visit was made possible by the Berkshire Freemasons Panto Project, whose generosity enabled us to offer an accessible and enjoyable theatre experience designed around the needs of autistic young people with complex needs. Their support made it possible to introduce many of our young people to a style of performance that they may not have been able to access elsewhere.

A meaningful experience for every young person

For one young person in particular, the day held special significance. Seb previously found it very difficult to access pantomime performances. Yet in the Piper Arts Centre, he was able to sit in the front row and remained fully engaged for the entire show. And this after he had only joined Prior’s Court the week before. His calm, focused enjoyment captured exactly why a carefully designed arts environment matters: it provides opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach.

How the visit came about

The visit was organised through the Berkshire Freemasons Panto Project. The project started in 2008 and was initially run at The Heaxagon, Reading and The Swan High Wycombe, with the project purchasing all of the tickets for one performance which allowed Berkshire Freemasons to host children from SEND schools and children's charities, so that they could experience all of the joy that a panto brings.

Since 2011, the project diversified to redirect funds across Berkshire to reach a broader range of children for whom the thrill and wonder of a pantomime was an unknown experience. This includes hosting performances at the Theatre Royal Windsor and the Corn Exchange Newbury. But realising that a large number of children for a variety of reasons would not be able to attend a public theatre, the project began working with Playhouse Parties which had adapted traditional pantomimes to make them suitable for with special and additional needs.

This was the first visit by Playhouse Parties' Playhouse Pantomimes service to Prior's Court.

The continued impact of the Piper Arts Centre

This first pantomime marks an important milestone for the Piper Arts Centre. The building was created to offer autistic young people with complex needs safe, adaptable access to creative experiences. Hosting three well-attended, incident-free performances so early in its use demonstrates how well the space is already supporting engagement, communication and enjoyment.

Find out more about Piper Arts Centre