In the mid 1990s, musician and songwriter Sir Richard Stilgoe and neurologist Dr Michael Swallow came together to run a pioneering pilot project. For one week, disabled people explored music and performance together. The impact was immediate – confidence grew, creativity flourished and audiences saw talent that challenged long held stereotypes about disability.
It was clear that one week wasn’t enough.
The Orpheus Centre started as a summer programme for young disabled people. We started with 5 students and it has now grown to 68 students each year, with imminent plans in place to grow even more.Sir Richard Stilgoe, Orpheus President & Founder
A home for creativity and independence
In 1997, Sir Richard founded The Orpheus Centre at his former family home in Godstone, Surrey. His vision was for a place where disabled people could live, learn and create over time — developing their artistic talents alongside vital life skills.
Orpheus began with just five students living on site. Alongside writing songs and creating performances, they learned to cook, manage budgets, do laundry and shop independently. Through public performances, they challenged perceptions wherever they went – proving what disabled people could achieve when expectations were high and support was right.
Some of those original alumni remain part of Orpheus today, proudly helping to share its story and champion its work.
Growing talent, reaching bigger stages
Today, The Orpheus Centre is a nationally recognised provider of specialist creative education for young disabled people.
We now support 66 students, our highest intake to date, with 21 on site flats welcoming young people from across the UK. Through music, dance and the visual arts, students build confidence, develop professional skills and prepare for independent adult lives.
Orpheus performance students have appeared at some of the UK’s most iconic venues and events, including:
• Royal Opera House
• Royal Albert Hall
• Glastonbury Festival
• Notting Hill Carnival
• The Paralympic Opening Ceremony
• Royal Festival Hall
• Call the Midwife (BBC)
Our visual artists have received professional commissions and exhibited their work publicly, while Orpheus dancers have performed at landmark events such as the All England Dance 100th Anniversary Gala at the London Coliseum.
Looking ahead
In 2023, we proudly celebrated 25 years of the Orpheus Centre — a quarter century of creativity, independence and life changing opportunity.
In 2024, Orpheus was awarded an Outstanding Ofsted rating and achieved Disability Confident Leader status, recognising our commitment to inclusion and to championing disabled people in education and employment.
As we look to the future, our mission remains unchanged: to enable disabled people to express themselves creatively, live independently and reshape how society sees disability.
The next chapter starts now.
In 2026, the Orpheus Centre secured planning permission for their exciting transformative expansion which includes a 250 seat theatre, a café and a state of the art sensory room: alongside modern, purpose-built teaching spaces.
