A celebration of the inclusivity of art has provided autistic young people at Prior's Court with the opportunity to experience exhibiting their work at an art auction - and generated more than £1,700 for our Performing Arts Centre appeal in the process.

In a first for Prior's Court, an art auction was held on our site on Friday, 12 July with pieces of work available to purchase made by artists from across Berkshire and items produced by the young people at Prior's Court.

The auction and sale of these items made £1,774, which will go towards our Performing Arts Centre appeal.

And there is still time to get involved as the unsold pieces remain up for grabs. Items are available either via an online silent auction or for sale. 

View the catalogue of items available

At the event itself, more than 50 items of artwork across a range of mediums were on display for guests to explore and to either make a bid for as part of the silent auction or purchase outright.

Three young people from Prior's Court - Jamie, Brandon and Daniel - also attended as exhibiting artists, having been supported to produce pieces for the event. The three were among five young people who made cushion covers for sale, while many young people participated in making four collaborative pieces.

Natalie Norris, Prior's Court Fundraising Manager, said: "This was a truly special event which with young people at Prior's Court and established artists are taking part. This helps break down barriers and gave the young people we support the opportunity to be a part of an art event within their community on our site.

"Thank you to all of the artists who donated pieces to the auction for their generosity and thank you to everyone who made a bid or bought an item. Your support will make a huge amount of difference to the lives of autistic young people with complex needs by empowering them to access the transformational power of the performing arts."

Fill out this form to make a bid or offer

The catalogue will be updated with bids as they come in to help inform any further bids. The deadline for bids or offers for sale items is 11.59pm on Thursday, 19 September.

Our Performing Arts Centre will feature adapted facilities to support autistic young people with complex needs to access opportunities in music, dance and drama and the life-enriching benefits this provides.

Autistic individuals face many barriers to accessing the arts – from light and noise sensitivities to understanding of social rules – and one aim of the centre is to mimic theatre environments to prepare young people to access arts venues in the community successfully. This is in addition to having the opportunity day-to-day to express themselves creatively in a dedicated, bespoke space.

Find out more about the Performing Arts Centre appeal