Arts, Culture & Heritage Health & Wellbeing 2026
Turtle Key Arts

Turtle Key Arts Annual Review and Financial Statements 2025

Turtle Key Arts is a London-based charitable trust producing groundbreaking participatory and disability arts, based at the Lyric Hammersmith. In 2024/25 it engaged 1,200+ participants across 11 outreach projects, produced 3 touring shows with 56 performances reaching a live audience of 13,000, and employed 250 freelance artists. Key programmes include Turtle Opera for autistic young people, Key Club for adults on the autism spectrum, Turtle Song for people with dementia, JOY in SEN schools, and a residential arts week for young people living with HIV. Total income was £737,953, with 86% of expenditure directed to projects and participation.

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📋About

Turtle Opera (music and drama for autistic young people aged 11-15); Key Club (monthly creative arts and social club for 18-30 year olds on the autism spectrum); JOY (weekly creative workshops in SEN schools); Turtle Song (singing and songwriting for people with dementia in partnership with English Touring Opera and Royal College of Music); Young Amici (inclusive dance for disabled and non-disabled young people); Theatre Box (arts careers programme for KS3); CHIVA residential arts week for young people living with HIV; production of touring theatre by Ockham's Razor, AIK Productions, Sadiq Ali Company, Open Sky Theatre and Amici; paid internship and producer mentorship programme Custom geography from upload: UK (Lyric Hammersmith, West London) with national reach

📊Key Metrics

1,200+ participants engaged; 3 live shows produced with 56 performances; 11 outreach projects run with 229 workshops; 250 freelance artists employed Key Metric 1
Live audience of 13,000; digital content reached 375,593 people; 736,022 online audience reached; £737,953 total income Key Metric 2
Turtle Opera for autistic young people delivered in partnership with Victoria and Albert Museum and Oxford University; JOY creative project in 7 SEN schools culminating in performances at Lyric Hammersmith; Key Club monthly arts and social club for 18-30 year olds on the autism spectrum at Lyric Hammersmith and Kiln Theatre Key Metric 3

✅Key Outcomes

  • Outcome Star Turtle wellbeing evaluation in Turtle Opera showed measurable improvement in participation, confidence, socialising and sense of safety between first and final sessions; 86% of project expenditure directed to projects and participation (14% core costs)
  • Sisters360 by Asif Khan — co-produced with Polka Theatre, Leeds Playhouse and Bradford 2025 — received strong critical acclaim and secured UK tour in 2026; Ockham's Razor's Tess sold out its national tour
  • Producer mentee programme launched after nearly 100 applications — providing a paid entry-level arts production pathway; 4 work experience placements aged 16-18 supported; lectures delivered at Mountview Academy, NCCA and St Mary's University

📍Geography

London, Other

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