Cohere Arts CIC

Cohere Arts CIC provides opportunities for communities (particularly people living with health challenges and disabilities) to meaningfully engage with arts and culture.  Cohere Arts CIC was awarded £5,000 from the East of England Co-op Community Cares Fund to support their High Spirits project; drama workshops for adults living with sight loss in Suffolk. 

The workshops are specially designed to cater for the needs of visually impaired participants, who have few opportunities to socialise or take part in specific interests such as drama and theatre. Guide-dog friendly venues are chosen and volunteers are trained guiders who talk with the participants to ascertain and meet individual access needs such as providing lifts, meeting from public transport and escorting on foot and/or looking after guide dogs during workshops.

Most importantly, Cohere Arts CIC volunteers ensure there is no patronising or belittling behaviour towards the participants. A previous project participant said: “At no point during any part of it did I feel disabled, and I think that’s really important.”

At Cohere Arts CIC, the programme is informed by clinical and academic evidence around the positive impacts of cultural engagement and its potential to improve health and wellbeing. One participant reported that: “These projects fill the void in my life that was created by losing my sight.”