Blue Apple’s summer school will offer performance skills in acting, dance and singing for young people and adults with learning disabilities.

Having worked hard to help isolated people with learning disabilities bounce back from the Covid pandemic and bring new life into the arts, Blue Apple Theatre in Winchester has now extended opportunities in the performing arts to people with learning disabilities into Andover, Southampton, Bursledon and online.

During the Covid pandemic Blue Apple’s summer school also helped tackle extended periods of isolation during the long summer break, introducing and enriching skills for both new and experienced performers to young people and adults with learning disabilities. One parent said: “From day one, N has loved every minute. She was able to recall every moment and give me a full detailed description of her day. It was so lovely to see her light up like she did.”

Many of the things ordinary people take for granted are not available to people with learning disabilities. The opportunities for stimulation and social contact are limited and the summer can seem like a long stretch of isolation.

During this Mental Health Awareness Week May 9-15, the Mental Health Foundation has drawn attention to the damaging effect of loneliness and the practical steps to tackling it. Perhaps less widely known is the disproportionately greater impact of loneliness on poor wellbeing and mental health in people with a learning disability. An article published in Learning Disability Today reports that people with a learning disability are seven times more likely than their non-disabled peers to be lonely.

READ MORE: Blue Apple’s special assignments company presents ‘Forgotten People, Forgotten Planet’

Further evidence of this has been found by learning disability charity HfT who reported that a third of people surveyed felt lonely nearly always or all the time with 37 per cent saying they hardly ever or never go out to socialise and 33 per cent saying they did not feel part of their local community.

The key drivers of this loneliness include a lack of support to access community activities and a fear of public attitude with 39 per cent saying they were worried people would be unkind. Mencap has also identified more contributory factors including inaccessible venues and facilities, lack of inclusive activities, lack of support, financial constraints, lack of accessible information, mobility and transport difficulties and negative attitudes towards disability.

Learning disability organisations are all calling for practical steps to tackle these barriers, suggesting communities develop resources needed to tackle loneliness.

Now Blue Apple is planning a summer school in August which will offer a two-week programme of performance skills in acting, dance and singing for young people and adults with learning disabilities.

A group of four friends who heard about it have teamed up to help by putting on a big fundraising effort. Nick, Rich, Jack, and Steve are taking on one of the UK’s toughest challenges. They will be scaling the three highest peaks in the UK - Snowdon, Scafell Pike, and Ben Nevis - in just 24 hours over the weekend of June 26 and 27. The total walking distance is 23 miles (37km) and the total ascent is 3,064 metres (10,052ft).

To support their challenge and help Blue Apple fund their summer school, go to: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/3-peaks-blue-apple.

To express interest in attending the Summer School visit: https://forms.office.com/r/i02VhYU61a.

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