A PROJECT aiming to provide equal access to the arts for people with learning disabilities is celebrating its first anniversary later this month.

The Turning Tides Project, based in mid Devon, is a group of artists, teachers, dancers, musicians, facilitators, enablers and support workers who believe that everyone has the right of equal access to the arts.

They facilitate their work through arts taster days, weekly arts sessions, a gig and theatre buddies scheme and more, to ensure that people with learning difficulties or autism labels who want access to the arts can get them.

The project, a non-profil making community interest company, was set up by Jane Williams, an occupational therapist and musician. She worked as a freelance music facilitator for people with learning disabilities, on the autism spectrum or with challenging behaviour for seven years.

Through this she realised that enabling access to passions like art, dance, poetry and music helped people to participate in society, and remove some of the hurdles put up by their disability.

The project will celebrate the landmark with a party and fundraiser at the Pavilion in the Park on Saturday, May 23.

Vicky Hooper, one of the co-ordinators for the project, said: 'The last twelve months have been very successful and productive with the development of many different projects in both Okehampton and Crediton with many more exciting plans on the horizon.

'Since its launch last year Turning Tides has written 19 songs, posted blogs, uploaded four films, spoken at four conferences, received over 22,000 website visitors and completed a school project. We are always most interested to hear from anybody who thinks they might be able to support any of our projects.'