We’re delighted to announce that the Lyric Theatre and their Gold Partner KPMG have been successful in securing investment through the Arts & Business NI Investment Programme, supporting an exciting new project: Sensory Storytime.

Sensory Storytime is a specialist, artist-led workshop programme designed for children with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD), offering immersive, sensory-led storytelling experiences rooted in the changing seasons. The workshops will be led by Shannen McNeice, one of the few specialist theatre practitioners in Northern Ireland working in PMLD-focused theatre-making, and will run from Autumn 2026 into Summer 2027.

Dedicated, sensory-led arts provision for children with complex disabilities remains extremely limited in Northern Ireland, and many families experience isolation and a lack of access to meaningful cultural participation. Sensory Storytime responds directly to this gap by creating accessible artistic experiences for children, while offering carers a welcoming space to connect, share and take part in arts-based workshops of their own.

What makes this project distinctive is the hands-on role KPMG staff will play in delivering it. Moving beyond financial support alone, KPMG employees will volunteer as Community Champions throughout the programme who will be working alongside the Lyric’s Creative Learning team and participating directly in workshops with carers and families. Staff will also undertake introductory British Sign Language (BSL) training, building confidence and awareness around disability inclusion and accessible communication across the firm.

The project builds on a Lyric partnership first established in March 2025, when KPMG came on board as the Lyric’s Gold Partner with the specific aim of supporting the theatre’s education and outreach programme work that engages almost 7,000 children and young people in schools and communities across Northern Ireland each year, and which was recognised with the UK Theatre Award for Excellence in Arts Education in 2022.

Erin Hoey, Head of Creative Learning at the Lyric Theatre said: “We’re grateful to Arts & Business NI for supporting this worthy project and giving us the opportunity to develop a new strand of work. We have worked with lead facilitator Shannen for many years and know she will create an exciting and immersive experience for all participants using a wide variety of sensory stimuli. It’s fantastic to work alongside KPMG who will play an active part in bringing this project to life.”

Johnny Hanna, Partner-in-Charge of KPMG in Northern Ireland, said: “Sensory Storytime opens  the arts  up to those young  people, families and  carers who need it most, and we are  delighted  to be supporting  this  standout programme alongside  the  Lyric Theatre  and  Arts & Business NI. Inclusion, diversity and equity are part of who we are at KPMG. This project will allow our community champions to deliver social impact to our own people and the wider community. We are committed  to strengthening all communities  and look forward to bolstering our partnership with  the  Lyric  further to  create a  truly  inclusive and  accessible  theatre  and playhouse for  all.”

Brona Whittaker, CEO of Arts & Business NI, commented: “The Arts & Business NI Investment Programme is all about supporting business and arts partnerships that use creativity to make a positive difference. We’re delighted to support the Lyric Theatre and KPMG’s Sensory Storytime project through our latest round of awards. By bringing together the strengths of the arts and business sectors, this partnership will help create inclusive experiences for children, carers and families, ensuring more people can access, enjoy and benefit from the arts. It’s a wonderful example of what can be achieved when organisations come together around shared values.”

Through Sensory Storytime, the Lyric and KPMG are deepening a partnership built on shared values — tackling disadvantage, widening participation, and creating opportunities for people who might not otherwise have them. This project is just one of many steps towards the Lyric’s vision of a theatre that is truly a Playhouse for All.