Lung Ha Theatre Company is Scotland’s leading theatre company for people with learning disabilities. They work across Scotland, the UK and internationally, “proudly making fabulous theatre” to create, nurture, develop and deliver performing arts and other creative opportunities, by and with, individuals with learning disabilities. Since 1984, the company has worked with over 400 actors, created over 50 original productions, and worked with many leading artists and organisations from across Scotland’s creative industries to produce original theatre productions. The company has delivered work and collaborated with many companies across Europe and Australia.
Currently, the company works with an ensemble of 26 learning disabled actors who attend weekly sessions to develop their creative skills, new productions and engage in training, learning and creative development. In addition to a small core staff team, a wider group of volunteer supporters, comprising of parents, carers and other support networks help to deliver activities.
Lung Ha applied for £8,623 of investment in order to make some significant impacts for staff, beneficiaries and volunteers, which would eventually benefit everyone connected to the company, and the audiences who experience and enjoy their work.
Image: Lung Ha Theatre Company performs Castle Lennox. Credit: Pete Dibdin/Lung Ha Theatre Company
The team proposed to focus these funds on the expansion of their IT and technology infrastructure, equipment to support and provide resources, and contribution towards a sustainable and strategic vision for Lung Ha’s activities, including Lung Ha Across Scotland, a new programme which expands LHTC’s activities and audiences beyond Edinburgh and into other areas of the country.
Specifically, funding was to be distributed amongst new CRM software, various items of hardware including laptops, phones and a projector for community screenings and recorded performances, hiring of an accessible rehearsing space, and a range of access provisions to support their performers, including text to speech software, which are essential to enable the learning-disabled members of Lung Ha’s community to contribute fully to the company’s activities.
Image: Lung Ha Theatre Company performs Castle Lennox. Credit: Pete Dibdin/Lung Ha Theatre Company
Investment in accessible rehearsal space has directly empowered the organisation to advance its social and artistic aims, expanding their work across Scotland with the development and delivery of two years of Lung Ha Across Scotland, a new initiative for learning-disabled actors to develop new touring productions, skills sharing and social events programme which will tour across the country in a unique and innovative programme of work, beginning in 2024.
As part of this initiative, Lung Ha will develop a pathway for learning-disabled adults to engage professionally, as paid artists in the creative sector through a new training and professional opportunity.
Investment in new hardware has supported the access provisions for approximately 37 learning-disabled adults who engage across the company’s work (LHTC Touring Company, LHTC Ensemble, LH Across Scotland, and other Creative Development projects). Both the software and equipment purchased can respond to disability and/or social access barriers and provide proactive provisions to meet requirements and ensure that everyone has fair access to provisions for improving how they work. Unexpectedly, this has also allowed Lung Ha to make investments in their fair work action plan, ahead of schedule, and ensure that equality across staff conditions is embedded.
Image: Lung Ha Theatre Company 40th Anniversary Ensemble Group Photo. Credit: Peter Dibdin/Lung Ha Theatre Company
To date the support provided by Creative Informatics has benefitted, and will continue to benefit, the following groups:
- 37 learning-disabled adults (annually) as LHTC Ensemble Members
- 15-21 learning-disabled adults (annually) through other LHTC outreach projects
- 12-21 volunteers (annually)
- 6 staff (annually)
- 20 freelance artists (annually)
- 1300+ audience members (annually)
“This funding has enabled us to take tangible steps towards [exploring] what steps can be taken towards equitable and fair pay for learning-disabled artists in receipt of state support.” – Arron Greechan, Lung Ha Theatre Company
As Lung Ha Theatre Company marks its 40th anniversary in 2024, the Community Creative Tech Fund has allowed them to evolve their offering and presented an exciting opportunity to introduce new beneficiaries and audiences around Scotland to the joy of their work, and what can be achieved by the members of their community for many more years to come.
