Banner photo from Animal Farm taken by Mike Hall in July 2023.

Performing arts at the heart of the Hampshire community

Founded in 2005 by Jane and Tommy Jessop and based in Winchester, Blue Apple is an inspirational and ambitious theatrical company that supports learning disabled performers to develop and present high quality productions to the widest possible audiences – performing and touring theatre, dance and film within a variety of large and small scale venues around Hampshire and the southern regions, as well as nationally and internationally.

Blue Apple run performing arts classes across Hampshire and online. See details here.

Building confidence through creativity

The increase in confidence gained through stage performances has helped Blue Apple participants to enhance their social, personal and artistic skills and achieve public recognition for their talents.

Driving cultural change

Blue Apple is committed to the development of integrated and progressive opportunities within the arts for people with learning disabilities, to raise the ceiling of expectation and advocate for the development of a more inclusive and equal society and to develop a more diverse workforce.

We now support two performers in paid roles and plan to employ more. We are also exploring opportunities for performers to undertake external paid work, not only as performers, but also as trainers, workshop leaders and experts by experience.

Blue Apple is one of seven inclusive arts organisations in the UK working with Access All Areas in Transforming Leadership – a bespoke career development programme and coaching culture for potential learning-disabled leaders. The aim is to radically challenge ideas about who can lead across the Arts and demonstrate the significant potential for learning disabled leaders to drive accessibility in the sector. Read more about this here.

Collaboration and community

Blue Apple believes that change comes through collaboration. We work closely with local partners who share our aims and also collaborate with similar UK and international organisations. In 2022 we hosted an international sector symposium to review and identify best practice.

See details of international collaborations here.

Removing barriers to participation

Watch this animation without words that explains the idea of those in charge removing barriers rather than trying to change the individual. Through funding from Arts Council England this was commissioned by Unlimited to help explain the social model of disability, the important approach to disability which informs our work.