Blog

Signing off on this year’s Annual Review, I’ve had a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the many programmes, projects and people that shaped the last year. It’s one of my favourite parts of the process.

Not because of the numbers, important though they are, but because it offers a moment to step back and see the bigger picture. To look beyond the individual performances, workshops and projects and consider what remains afterwards.

Over the last year, more than 83,000 people engaged with Jacksons Lane through performances, classes, creative projects and community programmes. We welcomed audiences to our theatre, supported young people to develop skills and confidence, connected older adults through wellbeing activities, and worked alongside artists, volunteers, partners and supporters who make everything we do possible.

But the real story of Jacksons Lane has never been told through numbers alone.

It’s found in the young person who joins Youth Circus and discovers new confidence. The older adult who arrives at a social activity knowing no one and leaves with new friendships. The volunteer who develops skills and opportunities they hadn’t imagined for themselves. The artist who is given the space to experiment, take risks and create work that might not otherwise exist.

What unites these stories is that their impact doesn’t end when the session, project or performance finishes. Relationships deepen. Confidence grows. People become part of something bigger than themselves and, in turn, help shape it for others.

As we look back across the last year, and across Jacksons Lane’s 50-year history, I’m reminded that this is one of the great privileges of being a place-based organisation. Over five decades, Jacksons Lane has helped shape our community, but our community has shaped us too. Every story, challenge, idea and ambition has contributed to who we are today.

Our Annual Review celebrates what we’ve achieved together over the last 12 months, but it’s also a reminder that the value of this work extends far beyond a single year. The connections formed and opportunities created today continue to grow long after a project ends.

To everyone who has been part of Jacksons Lane this year, whether as an artist, audience member, participant, volunteer, partner, donor or supporter, thank you.

We hope you’ll take a moment to explore the review and celebrate everything we’ve achieved together. As we look ahead to our next 50 years, we’re proud of the difference our work continues to make in the lives of so many people, and excited about what comes next.

You can read our full Annual Review 25/26 here.

Hannah Cox | Executive Director & Joint CEO | Jacksons Lane