Raising expectations about what people with learning disabilities can achieve

Putting young people with learning disabilities at the heart of the community. 

Liberdade Development Community Trust, based in Newcastle, has a bold ambition to raise everyone’s expectations about what people with learning disabilities can achieve. They use the arts and social enterprise as tools for change. They offer young people dance, drama and arts activities from their Gosforth Civic Theatre – an arts venue and cafe in Gosforth, Newcastle. It’s a truly inclusive space for performance, music, and events, at the heart of the community, and money spent in the café and theatre helps to sustain their charitable work with people with learning disabilities. Their ethos is all about empowerment, giving young people power. Bringing these young people into the heart of the community, and challenging preconceptions about people with learning disabilities.   

One of the young people who has been part of Gosforth Civic Theatre summed up the approach:

“It’s about wanting to give young people with learning disabilities a chance to become part of a community. A chance to shape people’s attitudes. Now we can do that.”

Liberdade Community Development Trust’s Gosforth Civic Theatre combines being a vibrant community hub with their mission to create a truly inclusive place where everyone can belong and take part in the arts. They deliver training to young people and adults with learning disabilities covering areas such as performing arts, health and wellbeing, sport, and employment skills. The theatre is a warm, welcoming, and inclusive space, but it’s crying out for a major renovation to help it support more young people and adults with learning disabilities and be a truly accessible and sustainable space.   

The Youth Investment Fund grant will help to transform Gosforth Civic Theatre and will enable a major renovation, expansion, and upgrade, making the space both accessible and sustainable and able to support more young people with learning disabilities. The project has also successfully attracted funding from the Arts Council, the Wolfson Foundation, the Foyle Foundation, the Clothworkers Foundation, and the National Lottery Community Fund. The combined funding offer will transform the building and make their dreams become a reality.