We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded a grant of £20,000 from Garfield Weston Foundation, which will help fund our Creative Learning programme over the next two years.

The grant will help to fund a wide range of projects including the Vamos Central programme, weekly drama sessions for adults and young people with learning disabilities in Worcestershire; Vamos Emerging Artists, which gives annual training to young performers who have graduated from a university course and/or have recently embarked upon a professional career; Vamos Theatre’s digital learning resources such as mask.ED, where teachers and students can access specialist resources to learn about mask theatre in a school setting; projects with Looked After Children, working with Virtual Schools, utilising mask to build confidence, communication and access to non-verbal performance; projects with the deaf community, led by deaf practitioners; and Vamos Theatre’s impactful CPD programme, which develops skills and confidence in mask theatre for established artists and educators through professional level masterclasses.

Honor Hoskins, Vamos Theatre’s Creative Producer, comments, “We are over the moon to be successful in receiving a grant from Garfield Weston Foundation to support our Creative Learning Programme which is continually being delivered in conjunction with our touring work. The backing of Garfield Weston Foundation is a huge boost for us, and these funds will be far-reaching, helping to create opportunities for a wide range of people and communities, including early career artists, adults and young people with learning disabilities, the deaf community, care experienced young people and many more. We know from our ongoing work that interaction with the arts has a hugely positive effect on people’s wellbeing, confidence and life-skills, and we’d like to thank Garfield Weston Foundation for helping us deliver this important work.”

For more about our Creative Learning programme and how to join in see our Learning pages.