Projects

When co-director Rachel Liggitt, described the Shropshire Inclusive Dance (SiD) commission for Vibrant Shropshire’s ‘This is Shropshire’ as ‘challenging’ a huge smile came over her face. It had been a resounding accomplishment that had successfully challenged the performers, the audience and the venues as well as Rachel and Ray Jacobs, SiD’s co-artistic directors.

Shropshire Inclusive Dance (SiD) have delivered distinct, exemplary and creative driven dance projects since 2012 with weekly classes and workshops, that facilitate individuals’ creativity, inclusion and community cohesion. Rachel and Ray are experienced practitioners in producing inclusive dance performances and facilitating projects throughout the community, creating and sharing work with many organisations and festivals, nationally and internationally, involving people of all ages and abilities to share the joy of dancing and moving together. Groups that SiD engage with include young children in special schools, youth groups, professional dance companies and dementia support groups. SiD aims to make sure that everyone fulfils their right to watch and participate in dance, regardless of age or ability.

Their ‘Sunrise to Sunset’, a celebration of one day on earth and has been staged at Shrewsbury’s Theatre Severn with thirty-five diverse dancers.  Now, with the support of Vibrant Shropshire, they planned to take the opening scene of the show, ‘Welcoming the Dawn’, on the road, featuring two disabled and one non-disabled dancer.  These three women would take on the duty of ensuring that the sun rises by ‘dancing in’ the dawn.  Donning all their worldly goods, they would make their way to the tops of mountains, deserted village greens and the sea to celebrate the rising of the sun.  They would bring in a new day, shedding the previous one and all its woes, by using touch, weight, momentum, balance and flow as they journeyed together towards a new beginning.

Seven venues were selected from across the county, each with its own focus, and, after dancing, the performers held workshops to explore the themes of the story and to involve the audience. The locations were:

• Wem Town Hall with older adults
• Severn Specialist Academy, Shrewsbury with secondary school pupils
• Ludlow Working Together with adults with learning difficulties
• The Hive, Youth Café, Shrewsbury with young people
• Southall School, Telford with secondary school pupils
• Arty Party with adults with learning difficulties
• Redwoods with mental health patients.

The challenges for the dancers were multiple and complex as each site was different. Some had a proper performance stage, while with others the dance area was a matter of a few feet away from the audience. Different audiences exhibited a range of reactions and emotions and their physicality and movement were unique to them. The audience included people of all ages and abilities. So, more than just learning the practised choreography, the dancers enhanced their own skills of teaching, planning, managing and flexibility. It was also aspirational for the audience to see what disabled performers can achieve.

As with so many of the projects supported by Vibrant Shropshire, the benefits are so much more than just an audience watching a performance. There is learning for everyone involved, learning that they can take into their futures.

The workshop conducted for Arty Party can be seen here

Shropshire Inclusive Dance were awarded a ‘This is Shropshire’ commission from Vibrant Shropshire with thanks to funding from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund. See the full list of commissioned projects here.

What more appropriate way to recognise ‘This is Shropshire’ than a mural of a hundred and fifty-six individual squares, each of which is a separate piece of art in itself, representing a different story or a different location within the county. Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings (SFM) had previously commissioned local artist Sarah Evans to make an original 4m by 1.1m artwork as a triptych of three panels supported on two easels. There is now a weatherproof reproduction on display outdoors in the grounds of the buildings which is located in the Ditherington suburb of Shrewsbury.

The main mill at Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings is a landmark in the history of construction. The first multi-floored building in the world (a veritable sky scraper in its day) with a structural frame of iron makes it the ancestor of all iron and steel-framed buildings. It was opened in around 1800 to spin fibre from flax plants into thread for making linen cloth and operated as a spinning business for almost ninety years. After it closed, the site was adapted as a maltings, where hops were processed to make malt for beer. The maltings closed in 1987 and, after falling into disrepair, the buildings were eventually rescued, repaired and restored by Historic England, with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

As can sometimes be the case with museums, galleries and heritage, the challenge is to encourage people to come through the doors to experience the enjoyment and excitement of the exhibits. The rationale behind SFM’s application for a Vibrant Shropshire Commission was to use the mosaic as the vehicle to achieve three objectives. Firstly, to bring people from the surrounding suburbs, who were not frequent visitors, into the building, often for the first time.  Secondly, to enable locals to learn more about their immediate area and wider county and thirdly, to create an environment where families could spend quality time together to have fun and be creative. To inform families about the opportunities available to them, over four hundred properties in the neighbourhood received a welcome flier through their door.

‘Beyond the Mosaic’ comprised a series of workshops in art, music, drama and story telling for families in the area to explore their heritage. A different square was selected for each of the eight workshops with twenty free places available to local residents to attend in family groups. Professional artists and musicians facilitated the proceedings. Taking their chosen square as the starting point, participants were led through writing their own song, story, picture or playlet, the culmination being two Celebration Events held in August and October attended by over four hundred people.

The project were captured by a local videographer and can be viewed here.

To continue with the success of the Vibrant Shropshire commission, SFM is seeking to repeat the experience in coming months.

What better way to define “This is Shropshire” than by asking the very people who have lived here the longest and those whose future lies ahead of them to share their perspectives? Pentabus, the nation’s rural theatre, responded to the Vibrant Shropshire commission by connecting residents from five care homes with pupils from five primary schools across the county. Through shared stories, memories and reflections on community life, the children gathered inspiration for poetry and songwriting sessions back in their classrooms.

As Shropshire’s only professional producing theatre company, Pentabus has spent over fifty years bringing cultural experiences to isolated rural communities. With a small but dedicated team, and in collaboration with Shropshire artists Henry Madd (award‑winning performance poet) and Rhian Jackson (vocal coach, singer and songwriter), they were ideally placed to lead this imaginative and inspiring multigenerational project involving 131 children and 69 older adults with limited access to the arts.

Together, participants explored themes of friendship, community, wellbeing and what it means to call Shropshire ‘home’. A total of 30 creative workshops took place in schools, where pupils developed and rehearsed their own, original poems and songs before performing them for the older people who had inspired them. The project culminated in a celebration event at St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury, in November 2025, where children performed their pieces on stage, to an enthusiastic audience of family and friends. The performance, presented by Henry Madd and Rhian Jackson, was supported by the Pentabus team with sound design from Billy Lambert, film by Angel Reid, and lighting by Calum Barre and Daffyd Gough.

Projects like this create lasting impact, both expected and unexpected. For many children, especially those from rural areas, the experience broadened their horizons. For some children, attending from rural Shropshire to perform in Shrewsbury, this was the first time they had been on a train. Alongside creative and literacy skills, pupils developed confidence, teamwork, a sense of citizenship, and a deeper understanding of local history and the different stages of life. Care home residents spoke warmly of the joy the children brought, and care home staff noted new relationships forming with local schools: “I have always struggled to get schools into our home, but after the workshops the school talked about bringing the children back with their end‑of‑year play to show the residents. Without this event, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Others involved reflected on the project’s value:

• “We would just like to say how much we enjoyed being involved in this project and to thank you sincerely for including us. It was a truly positive and meaningful experience for our residents.” – The Sandford Nursing Home, Church Stretton
• “We noted several positive impacts on the pupils who took part. Many children showed increased confidence, particularly in speaking and performing in front of others. Their ability to express ideas verbally and in writing improved, as did their willingness to collaborate and listen carefully to different perspectives.” – Bryn Offa CE Primary School
• “Bringing together children and older adults to create poetry and songs about Shropshire is a two-way enrichment and reminder of how powerful shared imagination and experience can be. Their voices, young and old, sparked memories and made new ones that were truly joyful and full of heart. We all need more projects like ‘Home is Here’!” – Joanna Freeman, Pentabus Head of Engagement

Photo credit: Andrew Moore

How can you engage young people in the arts in remote rural areas?

This was the question asked by Liz Still, manager of the Bishop’s Castle SpArC Theatre.  South West Shropshire is renowned for being an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or National Landscape, for its hills, its valleys, its walks and its wildlife.  But it is also known for its lack of local infrastructure, its relative poverty, its minimal public transport and its inaccessibility. The jewel in the crown of this corner of the county is SpArC (Sports and Arts in the Community), with its leisure centre and theatre. Although it is situated next to the Bishop’s Castle Community College, the necessity to take the school bus home to the villages at the end of the educational day often prevents students from using the SpArC’s facilities unless arrangements can be made with parents who have the time and the means to collect them. With the nearest sixth form colleges being twenty miles away, attending the theatre can be even harder.

Over the years, SpArC Theatre has built a reputation for staging varied programmes from live music and performances to streamed productions from the National Theatre and the Royal Opera House to popular films. Whilst appreciated by the older population, the challenge was to attract the younger ones.  There was also a possible concern that, for some people, a theatre might be perceived as something not for them, almost elitist. Once they could get through the doors they would realise the reality.

Liz’s solution, with support from Vibrant Shropshire through funding from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, was to run a series of high quality, low cost activities enabling children and young people, particularly from families with limited resources, to engage with culture in meaningful ways. The activities would open their eyes to new experiences, foster creativity, enhance personal growth and break down barriers.

The events included:

• Parkour runs – challenging young people’s physical abilities in a fun and high-energy way, pushing their limits in a safe, supervised environment, not only building strength, coordination and agility, but also developing problem-solving skills, confidence and creativity.
• Dungeons and Dragons – a collaborative role-playing game that fostered creativity, problem-solving and social interaction.
• Craft making workshops – inspired by an animated film the children had just seen.
• Band practice – for budding musicians to rehearse and receive guidance from experienced local musicians.
• Summer art exhibition – encouraging young artists to display their work in the Theatre’s Gallery space to build confidence and nurture aspirations.
• Curriculum support – working with the College to increase students’ engagement with the theatre and screening films and theatre productions that support the current College curriculum.
• Early years theatre – a live theatre show for young children engaging with the local primary schools, nurseries and parents and carers to encourage a magical first theatre experience in friendly familiar surroundings promoting imagination, confidence and communication skills.
• Box of Frogs improvised comedy – a lively improvisation comedy troupe.
• Gobbess – a kaleidoscopic one-creature show that blends circus, storytelling, spoken word and poetry in a journey of embracing imperfection, rediscovering playfulness and rejecting societal expectations.

What a wonderful, eclectic introduction to the arts for 385 youngsters!

Shropshire Music Service’s (SMS) contribution to the ‘This is Shropshire’ arts programme was inspired by the Alzheimer’s Society’s ‘Singing for the Brain’ programme, which promotes acceptance, artistic expression and social stimulation for people with dementia. 

Running from September to December 2025, four specially accredited staff, all highly qualified music educators, delivered forty one-hour sessions across four of Coverage Care’s specialist dementia care homes: Montgomery House and Briarfields in Shrewsbury, Greenfields in Whitchurch and New Fairholme in Oswestry. Sessions included up to thirty residents living with dementia (some advanced and others in early stage), their families, and on-site carers. And each fostered a warm, inclusive environment where music became a bridge to connection and joy with singing, sometimes from song sheets but usually from memory, and playing percussion instruments. 

The typical format was:   

• Sing “Hello”           (welcome and warm up) 

• Sing favourites       (from particular decades) 

• Sing and move       (using musical instruments) 

• Sing “Goodbye”     (until the next session) 

As the group leaders monitored the feedback over the ten sessions, t

hey tailored the content to their audience. It was found that ‘triple time’ music, like waltzes, was the most popular and, of course, the Christmas performances were a highlight. 

It was noted that many residents who could be withdrawn or anxious at times appeared more relaxed, animated and confident with familiar songs prompting memories and conversations both during and after the activities. 

As with so many Vibrant Shropshire commissions, the benefits extended beyond the expected. Realising the impact on those in their care, some staff asked if they could be mentored by the SMS professionals in how to continue singing with the residents. It is certainly a model that could be replicated in other care homes in Shropshire. 

Debbie Price, Chief Executive for Coverage Care Service said, “We were delighted to be part of this inspiring initiative. ‘Singing for the Brain’ offered our residents a chance to connect, express themselves and experience joy through music. It’s a beautiful way to support emotional wellbeing and to build community within our homes.”  

Dr Sarah Browne, Head of Service for Shropshire Music Service added “We are delighted that Shropshire Music Service has been able to bring the power of music into Coverage Care Homes.” 

According to NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, the county has seen a 25% increase in residents aged over 65 in the past decade, with over 44% of the population now aged 50 and above — significantly higher than national and regional averages. Dementia diagnoses are expected to rise by 80% between 2017 and 2035, with an estimated 8,000 people currently living with the condition in Shropshire. 

By bringing ‘Singing for the Brain’ to Shropshire’s care homes, Shropshire Music Service has continued its mission to teach music and change lives and is now reaching some of our county’s most vulnerable residents. 

Photo Credit: Andy Darby

Who is the most valuable person working at a music concert? – and it’s not one of the performers!

The sound engineer is often considered to be an extra member of the band and the bigger groups will always have one as a dedicated, integral part of their team. Major theatres and halls will also employ professionals in the role. But what about the less well known artists and the smaller venues? They too need skilled and passionate technicians to bring their shows to life. The sound mix and balance between the musical instruments and the amount of echo when the vocalist is singing or talking will greatly affect the quality of the experience for the audience – and the reputation of the performers.

Jen and Westley Bone’s ShireFolk, based in Bridgnorth, brings some of the UK’s finest emerging talent of the folk scene to the Marches region. Each month, they tour an artist for three days to exciting venues in Leominster, Bewdley and Bridgnorth, reaching audiences limited by being in rural areas away from the big cities, and every show needs technical expertise to enhance it.

The Crew Futures Project, supported by Vibrant Shropshire through funding from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, enabled five local residents to take part in two days of practical training to learn the essential skills needed to work on live events — from setting up stages and handling equipment to basic sound engineering. This was followed by three days of real-world experience as part of the technical team at the Bridgnorth Music and Arts Festival, a popular grassroots event celebrating local talent and creativity.

The sound technician needs a range of intellectual and social skills from planning, problem solving, often under the pressures of time and an anxious audience, to liaising with nervous or pumped up performers. In the smaller halls, it is probable that they would be managing the lighting and ventilation as well.

At the Bridgnorth Music and Arts Festival, performances were held across multiple locations, halls, churches, pubs and outdoor sites in the High Street, in the Castle grounds and at the Quayside, each with its own unique sound issues, acoustics, wind and traffic noises.  Every band was allocated a forty five minute slot, with never more than fifteen minutes between each act for the technical team to dismantle the outgoing and set up the incoming performers. Pressure? What pressure?

As Jen explained, “The project was about more than just training. It was about supporting the future of live music. By developing new talent behind the scenes, we’re helping to build a stronger, more sustainable local music scene.”  Westley went on, “Technology and artificial intelligence are rapidly changing the music industry but regarding how sound and lighting are controlled in a venue, this will never replace the human interaction with the performers, particularly when things don’t go to plan.” As he advises his students at Kidderminster College, “These are transferable skills that any employer would want.”

This Crew Futures Project simultaneously develops people, the arts and the economy.

Read more about This Is Shropshire

The mythical Welsh giant Gwendol might have assumed that his only legacy to Shropshire was creating The Wrekin hill near Telford. Little did he realise that he would go on to inspire school children across the county to explore the wonders of theatre-making thanks to Pentabus, the nation’s rural touring company, supported by a grant from Vibrant Shropshire funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

For over fifty years, Pentabus, who are now based in Ludlow, have promoted bringing together communities and young people, with contemporary productions from creative teams, directly to isolated rural communities, as well as platforming rural stories in urban settings. They champion people of all ages to explore their creativity with particular emphasis on developing pathways into careers in the creative industries for those underrepresented and for people under thirty years of age who live rurally. The Pentabus Young Company initiative offers playwriting workshops in schools, further and higher education, work experience and mentorships.

The brief for the Vibrant Shropshire commission was to propose an exciting and innovative programme of cultural activities that focuses on ‘Celebrating Shropshire’ whether it be its heritage, natural landscapes or cultural scene, with the condition that it should also enable rural communities to overcome barriers to participation in the arts.

“Our classes had an incredible experience participating in the Pentabus project! The pupils gained confidence in expressing themselves, working as a team, and performing in front of others and within a real-life, working theatre. The workshops also deepened the pupils’ connection to local folklore, bringing stories to life in a fun and engaging way. It was a truly enriching experience that left a lasting impact on their skills and self-belief.” – Class Teacher, Coleham Primary School

Pentabus’ winning submission was to deliver an ambitious story-telling and performing arts project that would involve 180 Key Stage 2 pupils from primary schools across Shropshire, working with Coleham, Hanwood, Highley and The Bluehills Federation. Each youngster attended four 2-hour workshops led by a professional performing artist, where they were first introduced to an adaptation of the fable of Gwendol by writer and award-winning spoken artist Henry Maddicott. Pupils then created performances based on this story that also reflected their own issues, views on the environment and experiences. The schools chose their own art form of drama, music or dance with the culmination of the project being two live performances of pupils’ own original creative works, “Gwendol, A Giant Problem”, staged at the Assembly Rooms in Ludlow in front of an excited audience of friends and relatives. The performance was narrated by Henry Maddicott and professional actor Jacoba Williams and presented a re-envisioned folk tale celebrating Shropshire’s heritage and legends. The project fostered cohesion between different school communities across the county, supported curriculum outcomes for history, literacy and oracy and laid a solid foundation for young people in the county to engage meaningfully with cultural activity. As part of the commission, Pentabus has created a digital legacy as local filmmaker, Idriss Assoumanou, documented the project and this will be shared across a variety of platforms.

“I just wanted to say a huge thank you to all the staff involved in yesterday’s performance. They were amazing and it was such a lovely evening. To see the difference in [my child] brought tears my eyes. He came out absolutely buzzing. On stage he looked so confident – singing his little heart out.” – Parent of a pupil involved in Gwendol: A Giant Problem

Pentabus is developing a brand new youth theatre for young people aged 11 – 18 for September 2025, with sessions running on Wednesday evenings at Ludlow Assembly Rooms. Students from the Celebrating Shropshire project will be encouraged to participate. For more information, visit www.pentabus.co.uk

Pentabus was awarded funding from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity via Vibrant Shropshire’s ‘Celebrating Shropshire’ Commission in January 2025.

29 arts and cultural organisations across Shropshire have secured grants from Vibrant Shropshire: a Cultural Compact to deliver projects that overcome barriers to participation, improve health and engage young people. 

Vibrant Shropshire: a Cultural Compact was established by Shropshire Council, with support from Arts Council England (ACE) in 2022. Under the leadership of its chair Paul Johnson, Theatre Professor and Deputy Provost at the University of Chester and its cross-sector board, it has secured additional funding from ACE and Central Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to deliver a series of training events and manage a grants programme for cultural and arts organisations. 

Applicants were invited to apply for grants of between £1000 – £5000 for projects that would help deliver the county’s cultural strategy by overcoming barriers to participating in the arts and culture and using culture to address health and social issues in the county.  

Paul Johnson commented “We were delighted by the diversity of the grant applications from all over the county and the quality of the projects that were proposed.” 

All of the projects increased opportunities for communities across the county to engage in the arts and culture. These included creative workshops and exhibitions to support people living with mental health issues, mass participation arts projects for rural community groups, intergenerational creative workshops, cultural activities for young members of the Special Educational Needs and Disability community, school-based drama activities in an area with high levels of deprivation and inclusive dance workshops. 

Other projects were designed to use arts and culture to improve the health and wellbeing of the community and included wellbeing yoga workshops in isolated rural areas, creative activities to support the wellbeing of expectant and new mums, art and nature activities for young people impacted by a cancer diagnosis and wellbeing music workshops in rural communities and care giving settings. 

Initiatives to enable young people to become active participants in the arts were also well represented including training for young people to write reviews of the arts, participation in a film making academy, a youth fringe festival, creative and conservation activities in natural landscapes and stage combat workshops. 

As a large rural county, lack of access to arts and culture is an issue for many of Shropshire’s residents. This was addressed by projects including a multicultural performance at a community festival, Chinese Culture workshops and performances at different locations, a film festival in a rural town and musical performances in rural areas. All of these initiatives helped isolated communities have a richer cultural experience. 

Rob Macey, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Digital and Culture commented “Arts and culture play such an important part in addressing many community needs and issues and I am delighted that Vibrant Shropshire: a Cultural Compact secured the funding to help support so many different community focused arts projects.” 

Vibrant Shropshire: a Cultural Compact has received £163,950 from the UK Government funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, distributed by Shropshire Council.