Since officially opening on 12 June, 2025, the Piper Arts Centre has already had a remarkable impact across our young people’s community.

In just the first few weeks, around 75% of autistic young people at Prior’s Court have accessed the centre - taking part in music, art, drama, and movement sessions in this purpose-built creative environment.

This is only the beginning with plans afoot for even more young people to be supported to access the centre next academic year. 

In addition to arts-based sessions, in-depth planning is now underway with members of our Education team to explore how the centre can further support learning in key areas of our Functional Academics curriculum, including Numeracy and Literacy. These developments build on the centre’s role in Vocational Skills learning - offering opportunities for young people to gain valuable experience in areas such as front-of-house, backstage support, technical roles, and more.

The Piper Arts Centre was designed to be an inclusive space that nurtures expression, confidence, and communication. Seeing so many young people already engaging in this space is a powerful testament to what this centre makes possible.

We look forward to sharing more stories of creativity, learning and personal growth as Piper Arts Centre becomes a central part of life at Prior’s Court.

About the centre

Named in honour of Sue Piper, our former Director of Learning, Piper Arts Centre features a main performing space, music rooms, dance studio, and a flexible outdoor performance space. The centre addresses common barriers - lighting, noise, unfamiliar acoustics, social expectations -providing calm, accessible areas where learners can explore and thrive.

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