Coronavirus COVID-19 advisory information
Skip to content

In Reading we work with The Royal Berkshire Hospital. Reading Borough Council’s Culture team supported the project 2019-2020 and the project continues to grow in 2020 with support from New Directions College. Working alongside the Reading Ageing Well Partnership with support from Reading Stroke Association and Reading Voluntary action in spreading the word has really helped develop the work. Reading South Street Arts Centre have hosted our workshops and performances as well as Reading University Department of Drama, film and Television.


Watch the film

Collaborators

Reading Council logo
New-Directions-College-Logo

_MG_3484


Tony

I was a plumber and an engineer working for a Reading based company for 16 years – I was working…

_MG_3567


Edilane & Fernando

I’m Edilane, I was born in Brazil, when I was 19, I moved to Portugal. In 2009, I met Fernando,…

_MG_3517


Fiona

I am an ex- teacher.  In 2018 in February I had a stroke. I was at the hospital when a…

Martyn

After a career in nursing for 30 years cut short by his brain tumour, a rhabdoid meningioma, Martyn now focuses on performing as a musician, Stand-up Comedian and as a street performer and an award winning clown, performing in Romania, Monaco, The Azores, across Europe and extensively in the UK. 

He teaches ukulele and plays in several busy working bands. He has had cameo roles in TV shows such as ‘Life’s too short, ‘Birds of a feather’ and ‘Citizen Khan’ amongst other television and film work including being a stand in for Hagrid on some Harry Potter films, and after his brain surgery toured his one man show ‘Too busy living to be dying’. 

Martyn still plays music as often as he can and is involved with The Disappointing Clown Company whenever he is able, both as a creative consultant and as a performer at such events annually as Glastonbury Festival, Children’s World Festival and The Grand Northern Ukulele Festival. He lives in Berkshire and got married in September. He is very tall and quite hairy. He was delighted to be part of the opera at Garsington and to be involved in putting together the poetry anthology.