Elgar at the Asylum is a large-scale, learning-disability-led participatory arts project that re-imagines the early life and music of Edward Elgar through inclusive, immersive performance. Led by C&T in partnership with The Monday Night Club, the project brings together learning-disabled adults from across Worcester to create an ambitious, multi-artform work rooted in local heritage and contemporary digital practice.

Inspired by Powick Asylum, where Elgar worked as a young musician, the project uses this historically significant site as a starting point for creative research, experimentation and performance-making. Participants collaborate with professional artists to develop original music, movement, spoken word and digital content, shaping both the process and the final performance.

C&T’s Prospero digital platform underpins the project, enabling accessible documentation, creative reflection and authorship throughout the rehearsal period. Learning-disabled artists use Prospero to capture ideas, record creative choices and contribute directly to the structure and content of the work, ensuring genuine co-creation and digital inclusion.

Elgar at the Asylum is notable for its scale, depth and commitment to inclusive practice. It engages one of the largest cohorts of learning-disabled performers involved in a single Worcestershire arts project and prioritises long-term engagement over short-term participation. The project positions learning-disabled artists not only as performers, but as researchers, storytellers and creative leaders.

The final outcome is an immersive performance combining live music, movement and digital media, offering audiences a contemporary reinterpretation of Elgar’s legacy. The project demonstrates how inclusive, learning-disability-led practice can drive artistic innovation, audience engagement and meaningful cultural participation.