About us

STAGE 21 organises fun and inspiring acting workshops for young performers with Down syndrome, offering opportunities to gain industry experience and access by working with professional actors and directors.

With support from Arts Council England and Portsmouth Down Syndrome Association, STAGE 21 is on a mission to showcase and inspire actors with Down syndrome, to increase representation of disability in the arts, and to offer a lot of fun along the way.

We believe that people with Down syndrome need to be treated and respected the same way as anyone else. Participants of our free two-day workshops will get to work with professional actors and directors to hone their acting skills and play roles that may not be afforded to them otherwise.

Our 2023 workshops took place in London, Manchester and Portsmouth and offered 26 selected young disabled actors the chance to gain experience, bolster confidence and inspire collaborations that will lead to greater representation of people with Down syndrome in the arts.

Watch the video below to find out what previous participants and mentors thought of our workshops…