Lewisham Council's focus on high-quality creative and arts activities

Lewisham Council supports Allsorts, alternative day provision for adults with learning difficulties, which has a focus on high-quality creative and arts activities. This case study forms part of the Value of culture - learning and development section of our online Culture Hub.


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Allsorts is about adults with learning difficulties trying new arts activities, meeting new people and having fun. It is run by Heart n Soul, a creative arts company and charity based in Deptford, south-east London, which provides creative opportunities for people with learning disabilities. The idea of Allsorts began in 2011 in response to a gap in provision for adults aged over 25, and it was designed by a steering team of potential service users.

When Allsorts was created, Lewisham Council was moving from a purely day care model towards personalised services. The council recognised that Allsorts could meet needs not met elsewhere and it now part-commissions the service, providing £58,000 a year towards the core costs to ensure inclusivity for local residents without access to social care. The business model aims for participants on personal budgets to pay £50 per session and others to contribute £5 per session. Allsorts receives grant funding from various foundations and the Big Lottery Fund.

Impact of the activity

Allsorts is now a highly valued part of Lewisham Council’s alternative day provision for adults with learning disabilities. It takes place once a week about 24 times a year and offers a diverse range of opportunities – from circus skills to beatboxing, life drawing and 3D printing. About 40 people attend each session and over 100 people attend during the course of a year. Almost 50 per cent of participants are from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities and a high proportion are from low-income families.

Participants can gain new skills, showcase their talent and make progress. The overall objectives are to help them grow in confidence, develop self-esteem, learn new skills, be more connected with others and work towards more independent lives. Attendance and retention are tracked and feedback is gathered at the end of each session, including feedback from participants, artists and volunteers recording changes in participants’ confidence, self-esteem, creativity and skills.

In 2015, an external evaluation report concluded: “Allsorts provides a happy, stimulating and creative place for adults with learning disabilities to learn, relax and be with friends. The combination of the overall ethos, the emphasis on self-esteem and enjoyment and the right community arts venue all create a unique environment which benefits all involved. Participants speak in a truly powerful way about the sense of warmth, joy and security they feel.”

Heart n Soul and Lewisham Council’s shared aim of increasing personal choice has not always been easy. Some participants attend Allsorts using their personal budget but not everyone has this option. Some people with personal budgets receive them for care support, some for activities and some for both. Others have had their budgets block-allocated to day centres or private care providers. However, the partners are working through these issues (see ‘key learning points’).  

Looking to the future

Heart n Soul aims to encourage sharing of the model with others in the arts and social care and is developing a programme that will allow others to be ‘immersed’ within Allsorts, learning about its ethos and approach so they can adapt this to their own context. They are also looking for a business partner to help sell products and art created by the participants.  

Key learning points

  • Reviewing personal plans on a regular basis is important (not just annually or every six months), as is being flexible with personal plans.
  • A close and adaptable relationship between the partners is key.
  • Strong policies are in place for safeguarding, health and safety, equality and diversity.

For further information contact Nancy Stridgen, Cultural and Community Development Service, Lewisham Council: [email protected]


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This case study has been developed in conjunction with Arts Council England