Portland College

Our exciting partnership with Inspire Youth Arts continues to develop, enabling us, collectively, to provide more innovative opportunities to young people with disabilities locally and nationally.  

Our new partnership project centres around our Newstart Hall which is undergoing a huge transformation to become a fully accessible state-of-the-art theatre and sports hall. As the region’s Centre of Excellence for Health and Well-being for people with disabilities, Newstart will be an ultra-modern teaching space for our learners and a community hub for people to explore their creativity, learn new skills and improve health and well-being.   

Inspire Youth Arts have been fundamental in the delivery of the theatre project which will open officially later this year.  Guidance and support from Inspire Youth Arts was instrumental in helping us reach our £1.2m fundraising target, with a notable £75,000 grant from the Arts Council. The partnership will continue into the next phase as we work together to deliver an extensive creative arts programme for disabled people in Ashfield. 

This innovative partnership aims to provide a nationally recognised model of best practice in disability arts, while demonstrating a clear connection between art participation and improved health and well-being. It aims to provide access to the arts for everyone, in a unique space.  

The project will increase our community outreach, delivering a wide range of art programmes, groups and performances and supporting our vision of a lifetime of opportunity for people with disabilities. 

The Inspire Youth Arts Team are continually looking for ways to work in partnership for the benefit of our wider communities rather than just their own learners. 

The innovative nature of the Newstart Theatre will benefit our local communities as well as Portland and Inspire learners, and is the first of its kind in the Ashfield district.   

As well as a community venue with access to a range of creative arts programmes, Newstart Theatre will become the base for some of the UK’s leading young disabled performing arts companies including the Able Orchestra, enabling us to further raise the profile and impact of disability arts.  

As specialists in the arts sector, the IYA team have developed a robust Arts Strategy to enable us to achieve our vision and are supporting us with the recruitment process for a Theatre Coordinator to manage the provision. 

The project has continued throughout COVID and we’re excited to be working together on an official launch plan in Autumn, where Inspire performers will deliver a powerful performance and installation to our local communities to inspire them to get involved. 

Without the expertise and support of Inspire Youth Arts, we would have struggled to get where we are now, with a fantastic facility, clear strategy and exciting future.