Ravenswood-based charity InnerSense has received a grant from the Redwood Technologies Fund held with Berkshire Community Foundation (BCF), enabling it to run a series of Autumn Adventures workshops from October to December.
The sessions are designed to provide a multisensory theatrical experience for those who have severe, profound or multiple learning disabilities, and drive a range of positive outcomes for the participants which include improved communication skills, self-confidence and mental health.
InnerSense works with 100 disabled participants from across Berkshire on a weekly basis, and the Autumn Adventures workshops will see its studio transformed each week into a new theatrical environment filled with different props, instruments, costumes, characters and sets, designed to inspire the creative talents of the beneficiaries.
During each workshop, a team of skilled freelance professional artists take groups of up to ten participants into the studio at a time, where they are sensitively encouraged to participate and explore the world around them. These experiences lead to improved social awareness and relationships with staff and peers, as participants discover new creative ways for interaction and self-expression.
Victoria Holloway, Operations Manager at InnerSense, commented: "We are so grateful to receive a grant from the Redwood Technologies Fund. The grant will help us to run a term of our unique multisensory workshops, providing diverse creative opportunities for people with complex needs. In our workshops, people who rarely speak are inspired to sing, those who rarely move to dance, and those who are usually trapped in their own worlds break free. It is thanks to grants such as this, that we are able to continue this important work."
Claire Tyrrell, Director of Programmes at Berkshire Community Foundation, added: "At BCF, we are in a privileged position wherein we work with local charities and community groups addressing needs across Berkshire, as well as a number of extremely generous donors. As we look to facilitate our grant-making in the coming year, we hope for more and more opportunities to work with charities such as InnerSense."
Sean Taylor, Managing Director at Redwood Technologies, added: "Berkshire Community Foundation Fund and its Business Philanthropy Club enable an ever-increasing number of local organisations to engage with a wide range of excellent causes. The creative work carried out by the InnerSense team is inspiring and we're delighted to have been given the opportunity through our Fund to help support these workshops."