Elgar at the Asylum is a landmark heritage and arts project that brings together history, music and the lived experience of learning disabled people to tell an extraordinary Worcestershire story in a completely new way.
Then. Now. Next.
For over a year, members of The Monday Night Club have been working alongside professional artists, musicians, dancers, filmmakers, historians and theatre-makers to uncover an extraordinary story from Worcestershire’s past.
The result is Elgar at the Asylum — an ambitious promenade performance and exhibition that reimagines history through the voices, creativity and lived experience of learning disabled people today.
The project has been generously funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England.
The Story
Long before he became one of Britain’s greatest composers, a young Edward Elgar was commissioned to write and conduct music for dances at Worcester County Pauper and Lunatic Asylum in Powick.
This little-known chapter of his life became the starting point for our project.
As we explored the archives, we discovered not only Elgar’s music, but also the lives of the people who lived within the asylum. Their stories prompted us to reflect on how society has viewed learning disability and mental health over the last 150 years—and how much still needs to change.
The project asks three simple questions:
Then – What can we learn from the past?
Now – What is life like today?
Next – What kind of future do we want to create?
A Creative Journey
Throughout the project our members have worked with an inspiring team of creative partners.
Together we have:
- explored museum collections and archive material
- created original artwork
- made films with Shadowlight Artists and Film Oxford
- worked with dancers, musicians and actors
- developed new performance skills
- shared ideas through workshops and discussions
- helped shape every aspect of the final production.
The project has been genuinely co-created, with our members contributing ideas, artwork, performance and lived experience throughout.
The Performance
Elgar at the Asylum is an immersive promenade performance at Malvern Theatres.
Rather than sitting in one auditorium, audiences travel through different spaces within the theatre, encountering music, film, dance, visual art and theatre as the story unfolds around them.
The performance combines history with contemporary voices to create a moving and thought-provoking experience that celebrates creativity, challenges assumptions and imagines a more inclusive future.
The Exhibition
Before the performance, Then. Now. Next. showcases artwork created during the project.
The exhibition explores themes of identity, emotion, belonging, memory and hope through painting, drawing, collage, textiles and mixed media.
Much of the artwork also becomes part of the performance itself, blurring the boundaries between exhibition and theatre.
Our Creative Partners
This project has been created in partnership with an extraordinary team of organisations and artists, including:
- C&T
- Malvern Theatres
- Dancefest
- Vamos Theatre
- Kim Piffy
- Kay Mullet
- Charlotte Webby
- Film Oxford and Shadowlight Artists
- Worcestershire Archive & Archaeology Service
- The Firs, Birthplace of Sir Edward Elgar
- The Infirmary Museum
- George Marshall Medical Museum
Why This Project Matters
For The Monday Night Club, this project is about far more than producing a performance.
It demonstrates what becomes possible when learning disabled people are given the opportunity to work as artists, performers, researchers and storytellers.
Our members have not simply taken part—they have shaped the project from beginning to end, bringing their own experiences, ideas and creativity to an important chapter of Worcestershire’s history.
The result is a project that celebrates inclusion, challenges perceptions and leaves a lasting legacy for future generations.
Find Out More
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Visit the exhibition
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This project has been funded by
