Transforming the future for young people
with complex autism
Quarterly Newsletter
November 2022
Prior's Court News
The family of a young person at Prior's
Court is backing our fundraising appeal
for a ground-breaking centre to ensure
more young people with autism can
benefit from the transformational
power of the performing arts.
Jamie, 19, is in residential care at Prior's Court, in
our Young Adult Provision.
His family, who live in Guildford, are supporting
our Let Me Shine Performing Arts Centre appeal,
which is seeking £900,000 to support the build of an
innovative and bespoke arts centre on our site.
The Lawrence family are backing the appeal as in
his time at Prior's Court, Jamie, who left the family
home at the age of 10 to go into care due to his
aggressive behaviours associated with his complex
needs, has been enabled to experience once-in-alifetime
opportunities through the arts.
This has included recording an "anthem for autism"
called Let Me Shine, re-recording the song at the
world-famous Abbey Road Studios, and performing
on-stage at music
festivals with the
Prior's Court
Band.
The Lawrence
family appear
in a new film,
viewable on the
Prior's Court website
and on our social
media channels, raising
awareness of the appeal, in
which they talk about the
challenges of having a child/
sibling with such complex needs and why the centre
would be so important for Jamie and young people
like him.
Dr Alan Lawrence, Jamie's father, said: "To think
where Jamie has come from - going into care at
the age of 10 and the challenges his autism has
posed him - to recording at Abbey Road Studios and
performing at festivals, it is unbelievable. (continued
on page 2)
Family star in film backing
our arts centre appeal
Involving our young people in the arts is a crucial part of
our approach to learning. Up to 80% of young people at
Prior's Court are pre-verbal and our arts provision offers
a powerful means of communicating needs, expressions
and feelings, whatever their background or ability.
Our current on-site performing arts space limits the
number of young people we are able to involve in
performing arts, the size of audiences and the scope
and nature of the projects we can deliver. While there is
a lack of purpose-built theatrical spaces to support the
needs of young people with complex autism. We need to
change this - now!
We are seeking funding for an innovative and groundbreaking
performing arts centre - a bespoke on-site facility to help transform the lives of young people
with complex autism, both at Prior's Court and in the wider community.
The Let Me Shine Performing Arts Centre will help young people with complex autism to flourish, give
them the environment they need to make full use of their creativity and to achieve things their families
never thought possible. Tailored facilities will ensure barriers to involvement are removed, learning
opportunities are maximised, and support young people both at Prior's Court and beyond to gain vital
skills to help them in later life.
Prior's Court young person
Jamie, with his sister Kaitlin
Why we are fundraising for an arts centre