Corali Dance Company visited our Piper Arts Centre to perform for and engage with the young people at Prior's Court - and it made for a truly special afternoon. As one of the UK's leading inclusive dance companies, Corali brought their energy and artistry directly to our autistic young people, with interactive performances designed to put them right at the centre of the experience.

A special afternoon in the Piper Arts Centre

There is something powerful about seeing a professional company of national standing bring their craft into the room and shape it around the young people in front of them. Corali did exactly that. Rather than a performance to watch from a distance, the afternoon invited the autistic young people with complex needs we support to take part, share in the movement and help shape what unfolded - an experience made with them, not simply for them.

Who are Corali Dance Company?

Corali is a leader in dance created by artists with a learning disability. The company was founded back in 1989, beginning life as a casual dance group in a Southwark day centre, and has spent more than three decades building a reputation for excellence in inclusive performance.

Based in South London, Corali creates professional and participatory work, runs weekly classes, and delivers workshops in schools, colleges and community settings. Over the years they have collaborated with some of the country's most respected arts institutions and venues, including Tate, Sadler's Wells, The Place and Brixton House. Their work is guided by the talent and artistic input of dancers with a learning disability, and it sets out to change how disability is perceived across the arts and wider society.

Putting our young people at the centre

Interactive, participatory performance matters enormously for the autistic young people with complex needs we support at Prior's Court. Being invited into a creative experience, rather than positioned as spectators, offers a genuine route into self-expression, communication and connection. It meets young people where they are, celebrates what they can do, and opens up new ways of engaging with the world around them.

That inclusive, collaborative spirit is exactly what Corali brought to the Piper Arts Centre, and it is why their visit resonated so strongly with our young people.

A space built for exactly this

The Piper Arts Centre was created to make afternoons like this possible: a dedicated space where our young people can access high-quality arts experiences designed with them in mind. It is always a pleasure to see the Centre used for precisely what it was built for.

The visit from Bamboozle forms part of the developing Creative Arts curriculum based in the Piper Arts Centre. The programme is designed to give autistic young people with complex needs opportunities to explore creativity through music, theatre, movement and sensory storytelling.

Activities are carefully planned so each young person can take part in ways that suit their communication style, interests and sensory preferences.

Working with specialist performers such as Bamboozle helps bring new artistic experiences into the school. These moments support young people to explore creativity in ways that feel fun and accessible.

As the Creative Arts curriculum continues to grow, we look forward to welcoming more creative collaborations to the Piper Arts Centre.

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