Spectrum theatre group opens doors to new members during Learning Disability Week

Join Team Twisting Ducks at AJ Bell Great North Run! We have limited spaces remaining for this year's Great North Run on 13th September 2026, and we'd love for you to join our team! Registration fees are already paid, all you need to do is commit to raising a minimum of £200 for The Twisting Ducks Theatre Company. Sign up to run for a great cause and help support our work, creating opportunities for people with a learning disability and autistic people across Tyne and Wear and Northumberland. To sign up, email: alex@thetwistingducks.co.uk Deadline: Friday 29th May 2026

For Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD) Awareness Day, we're looking back at our beautiful exhibition 'In Our Hands' which took place in September 2025. Over four months of weekly sessions, we supported young people with profound and multiple learning disabilities to be creative through sound, light, texture and movement. Together, we collaboratively created an exhibition of soundscapes, scrapbooks and visual artworks inspired by the artists’ own passions, interests and choices. This film captures some of the joy, creativity and connection that came from the project, including some lovely reflections from parents about what the experience meant to their children This project was kindly supported by Community Foundation North East and Ringtons

Limited spaces available to join The Twisting Ducks funded theatre groups The Twisting Ducks is offering a rare opportunity for local people with a learning disability and autistic people to join funded theatre groups taking place weekly in Newcastle upon Tyne and Wallsend, North Tyneside. We are looking to welcome new members and further diversify our theatre groups so that all voices are represented. We welcome applications from all backgrounds, and in particular, would love to hear from people from the global majority, young people (18-25), women, non-binary, and trans people. Membership is free of charge. No previous performing experience is needed, just an interest in performing and a commitment to attend weekly sessions. If you're creative, love to express yourself, and want to be part of a supportive and inspiring community, we’d love to hear from you. About The Twisting Ducks Theatre Company The Twisting Ducks Theatre Company provides accessible arts opportunities for people with learning disabilities and autistic people across Tyne and Wear and Northumberland. The charity supports over 800 people a year to express themselves creatively, to develop skills and social connections, and to achieve aspirations as performers, musicians and DJ's. By using issue–based art forms, The Twisting Ducks help people speak up about social issues to provoke thought and stimulate change. Find out more about spaces available in groups in Wallsend and Newcastle upon Tyne below:

The Twisting Ducks Theatre Company presents Miners, Mariners and Me A new play by The Twisting Ducks Customs House Academy The Twisting Ducks Theatre Company presents Miners, Mariners and Me , a new performance written and performed by local artists with a learning disability and autistic artists, taking place at The Customs House , South Shields on Tuesday 17th March 2026 . The performance takes place during Neurodiversity Celebration Week , a global initiative that celebrates the skills and talents of neurodivergent people while challenging stereotypes about neurological differences. Miners, Mariners and Me rediscovers the story of South Shields, past and present, through drama, song and dance. Along the way, audiences will journey to Roman Arbeia, venture down the coal mines and explore the salty chaos of the fishing industry. Celebrating the vibrant people and iconic figures who have helped shape the town into what it is today, Miners, Mariners and Me is funny, playful and full of heart, and presents South Shields as seen through the eyes of the people who call it home. The performers, who meet weekly at The Customs House, are part of The Twisting Ducks Theatre Company, a charity providing accessible arts opportunities for people with a learning disability and autistic people across Tyne and Wear and Northumberland. The Twisting Ducks supports over 800 people a year to express themselves creatively, develop skills and social connections, and to achieve aspirations as performers, musicians and DJs. Miners, Mariners and Me takes place at The Customs House, South Shields on Tuesday 17th March at 7pm . Standard tickets are £10 (students £8, carers go free), and are available from customshouse.co.uk or by calling The Customs House Box Office: 0191 454 1234 Kelly Anders, CEO at The Customs House, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Miners, Mariners and Me to The Customs House. Having The Twisting Ducks back with their warmth, creativity and inclusive spirit is a real joy for us, and we’re thrilled to host their latest production.” Sonia Hudson, Drama Facilitator at The Twisting Ducks, said: “ Miners, Mariners and Me is a joyful celebration of South Shields, created by people who know and love the town. We travel from Roman Arbeia to the coal mines and the fishing industry, with plenty of humour and imagination along the way, including a surprise visit from a wish-granting mermaid! It’s funny, heartfelt and full of local pride, and we’re really proud to share it with our community.” Lisa, performer in Miners, Mariners and Me, said: “It’s a show about us, about South Shields. I really love doing drama. I feel important to be part of a show.” Miners, Mariners and Me Tuesday 17th March 2026, 7pm (approx running time 1hr) The Customs House, Mill Dam, South Shields NE33 1ES Tickets Standard: £10, Student: £8, carers go free Book tickets: customshouse.co.uk or call The Customs House Box Office 0191 454 1234

The Twisting Ducks Theatre Company has been awarded a grant of 19,989 from The National Lottery Community Fund to create a film exploring the theme of future housing and support needs for people with a learning disability. Led by artists with a learning disability, this grant will enable The Twisting Ducks Core group to deliver creative workshops with parents and carers and produce a film that explores this theme from parent and carer perspectives. The group developed the project in response to their own lived experience and anxiety caused by not having housing and support plans in place for when parents and carers are no longer able to support them. The film will be showcased at an event in North Tyneside, where attendees, including people with a learning disability, carers and service providers, will be supported to share their ideas for ‘planning for the future’. Jay Hare, CEO at The Twisting Ducks Theatre Company, said: “For many people with a learning disability and their families, the future can feel uncertain, especially when there isn’t a clear plan for housing and support. This project has grown directly from the lived experience of our artists who want to open up honest conversations that families often find difficult to start. Thanks to National Lottery players, we can bring people together to share their anxieties, hopes and ideas, and begin imagining futures that feel safer, more independent and more possible.”

Fresh returns on Thursday 5th February 2026 with Fresh Club Night: The Valentine’s Remix Join us for a fun, friendly, and welcoming night, where our DJs will spin a playlist of great ballads and all your favourite love songs. Whether you come with friends, a partner or on your own, everyone is invited to feel the love on the dancefloor. Expect a relaxed atmosphere, big sing-along moments, and plenty of chances to have a great time together. Optional dress code: Wear red or pink if you can, we’d love to fill the room with Valentine’s colours! Let’s celebrate love, friendship and good music ❤️ Fresh is an inclusive club night run by DJs with a learning disability and autistic DJs since 1998. It’s a welcoming, supportive night out for adults with a learning disability, autistic people, and their friends, families and carers. Event details: Fresh Club Night: The Valentine’s Remix Thursday 5th February 2026, 6.30pm - 10.30pm Venue: World Headquarters, Curtis Mayfield House, Carliol Square, East, Newcastle NE1 6UF For people aged 18+ Click to find out more

The Twisting Ducks Theatre Company has been awarded £95,551 from Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants and £36,905 from Community Foundation, Newcastle Culture Investment Fund for Bus, a 2-year immersive theatre and storytelling project by artists with a learning disability and autistic artists across Newcastle and Sunderland. Led by members of The Twisting Ducks theatre groups, Spectrum (based at Northern Stage, Newcastle) and Sunderland Platform (based at Arts Centre Washington, Tyne and Wear), Bus explores everyday experiences and emotions of travelling by bus, from the people we meet to the stories that unfold along the way. Throughout 2026, a series of creative workshops across Newcastle and Sunderland will bring together people from marginalised communities, including people with a learning disability and autistic people, young people, refugees, older people, and LGBTQ+ communities to share their stories and feelings about travelling by bus. The stories and anecdotes gathered during these workshops will feed into the development of a new, immersive, multimedia performance, staged not in a traditional theatre but on a bus. In 2027, the Twisting Ducks Bus will tour venues in Newcastle and Sunderland, visiting schools, arts venues and festivals, including Sunderland Pride, Newcastle Mela, Northern Stage and Arts Centre Washington, inviting audiences to experience live performances based on real journeys, real people, and real voices. Alongside the live experience, an online Digital Story Bank will showcase recordings and creative contributions made by participants throughout the project. These stories will be collected and shared via QR codes placed at bus and Metro stations across the North East region, in partnership with Nexus. Jan Willem van den Bosch, Lead facilitator and Project Manager at The Twisting Ducks Theatre Company said: “The Twisting Ducks Bus project gives us a unique opportunity to take our work beyond traditional theatre spaces to reach new audiences, especially other marginalised communities across Newcastle and Sunderland. We all use the bus, and everyone has a story to tell. This project is about listening to those stories and creating something real and meaningful that people can connect with.” "Buses are important to me and without them I wouldn't be able to do the things I enjoy. Lots of different people use the buses but we don't know them or their stories. We want to go to different places that we have never been before to hear people's stories and to perform them on the bus.” - Twisting Ducks performer. 

The Twisting Ducks Theatre Company has been awarded a £30,000 grant over two years from the Garfield Weston Foundation , a family-founded grant-maker that supports charities across the UK working to make a positive difference in their communities. The grant will support the Twisting Ducks to continue creating accessible opportunities for people with a learning disability and autistic people to come together and create, to have their voices heard, and to ensure the uniqueness and relevance of their art reaches more people. Jay Hare, CEO at The Twisting Ducks Theatre Company, said: “We are incredibly grateful to the Garfield Weston Foundation. This generous grant will help us continue to do what matters most - creating spaces where people with a learning disability and autistic people can express themselves through the arts, provoking thought and stimulating change. It enables us to sustain and grow our creative programmes, supporting over 800 people each year across Tyne & Wear and Northumberland.”  Find out more about our groups and academies

The Twisting Ducks Theatre Company has been awarded a Small Sparks Plus grant of £3,000 from Newcastle City Council, administered by Connected Voice, to support Fresh Club Night, an inclusive club night run by DJs with a learning disability and autistic DJs since 1998. Taking place on the first Thursday of each month at World Headquarters nightclub in Newcastle, Fresh club night is a welcoming, supportive night out for people with a learning disability, autistic people, and their friends, families, and carers. DJs from The Twisting Ducks DJ Academy in Wallsend perform at each event, bringing different themes every month, from 90’s Night to Girl bands vs. Boy bands . The Small Sparks Plus scheme helps VCSE organisations improve the health and wellbeing of local communities. This grant will enable The Twisting Ducks to continue delivering the monthly club night, providing an opportunity for people with a learning disability and autistic people to lead full and active social lives. Fresh Club Night supports the Stay Up Late campaign, a national movement challenging restrictive social care practices and tackling social isolation by making it normal for people with a learning disability and autistic people to go out and party. Hannah Eldridge, DJ Academy facilitator at The Twisting Ducks, said: “Fresh Club Night is such an important space for our community. It’s an opportunity for our DJs to express themselves and showcase their skills, and for everyone attending to enjoy great music, build social connections, and most importantly, have loads of fun. Our DJs work so hard to create a brilliant atmosphere every month, and we’re thrilled that this funding means we can keep the night going and welcome even more people.” Marc McAndrew, member of The Twisting Ducks Theatre Company, and a regular attendee of Fresh Club Night, said: “I’ve been going to Fresh since I was 18, I'm now 43. I love going to Fresh Club night. It's a brilliant atmosphere, I see friends that I haven’t seen for a long time or would not see unless I went there. You also get to meet new people you have not met before, I’ve made loads of new friends there, and found a girlfriend there too. The music is great, and they always have new up-to-date music as well as some classics, which makes me get up and dance. I love Fresh, it's great and I look forward to it each month. I can’t wait for the Halloween one, bring it on!” Coming up at Fresh Club Night: Fresh Club Night: Halloween Spooktacular Thursday 6th November 2025, 6.30pm - 10.30pm Find out more Fresh Club Night: Jingle Bell Ball Thursday 4th December 2025, 6.30pm - 10.30pm Where: World Headquarters, Curtis Mayfield House, Carliol Square, East, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6UF Fresh Club Night takes place on the 1st Thursday of each month, 6.30pm - 10.30pm Cost: £6.00 per person (carers get in free). Tickets available on the door (for people aged 18 years +) Fresh club night is run by DJ’s from the Twisting Ducks DJ Academy. Find out more about joining The Twisting Ducks groups and academies