Young people at Prior’s Court recently took part in a series of performances from travelling theatre company Bamboozle. Their visit supported our Creative Arts curriculum in the Piper Arts Centre, bringing creative experiences into the school day in ways that are accessible and meaningful for every autistic young person with complex needs we support. Read more
Our young people enjoyed a sensory-rich Christmas visit to Reading Rep Theatre, building confidence and creativity through a supported theatre experience. Drawing on skills developed at the Piper Arts Centre, the visit helped young peopleexplore performance, backstage environments and creative choice in a new community setting. Read more
The Piper Arts Centre celebrated its first Christmas in style at Prior's Court by being the hub of a number of festive activities celebrating the festive season. Read more
The Piper Arts Centre has reached an exciting early milestone, hosting its first pantomime performance on Monday, 8 December with around 95% of young at Prior's Court being empowered to access one of the three performances. Read more
On Thursday, 12 June, 2025, Prior’s Court unveiled the Piper Arts Centre, a purpose-built facility supporting autistic young people with complex needs to explore music, movement and drama in an environment tailored to them.
This opening came about after a £1.1m fundraising appeal supported by more than 150 individual donors, trusts and foundations to transform our previous, unsuitable on-site performing arts space.
But the story doesn't stop here. Check out success stories from the centre below as more and more young people at Prior's Court begin to thrive in the centre.
Find out more about why we built a performing arts centre
Prior's Court's Piper Arts Centre had some new visitors over the weekend. A group from Synergy Dance came to teach the young people fitness, flexibility, gross motor skills, and more through dance. Read more
Through play, autistic young people with complex needs at Prior’s Court are supported to build on their individual skillsets, develop creativity and increase their engagement with activities. Play is not separate from learning at the Piper Arts Centre – it is central to it. Read more
During recent sessions in Piper Arts Centre, masks were introduced into learning sessions as a way to help the autistic young people with complex needs at Prior’s Court recognise, express and understand different and difficult feelings in a safe and engaging way. Read more
Young people at Prior’s Court recently enjoyed a live performance from the Orchestra of St John as part of their Music for Autism initiative. Held in the Piper Arts Centre, the visit offered an inclusive and engaging musical experience, supporting creativity, wellbeing and shared enjoyment through the power of live music. Read more
Prior’s Court now has a dedicated Music Teacher based at Piper Arts Centre, supporting the delivery of the music strand within our Creative Arts Learning Programme. Max has recently joined our team and is already making a positive impact through his work with the autistic young people with complex needs at Prior's Court. Read more
One young person, Otto, has achieved some major milestones in the Piper Arts Centre recently. Read more
At the start of the 2025/26 academic year, the Piper Arts Centre has already seen some inspiring moments of progress from our young people - and one recent session with Fleming House captured just how far they’ve come. Read more
William’s journey at the Piper Arts Centre in Term 1 of the 2025/26 academic year has been one of growing confidence and joy. Read more