Our Journey
Take a look at our story and discover how we grew into a vibrant community of actors, musicians, DJs and clubbers!
We empower and enable people with learning disabilities by developing their individual talent, skills, confidence and independence.
Working closely with local artists, musicians, venues, schools, community groups and arts organisations, we give our learners opportunities to share their talents and connect with the community. We make sure that they are seen in places where people with a disability are often hidden.
2007
We held the first nightclub for adults with learning disabilities in Sheffield, based on requests from the community. Our first event at The Hubs was a big hit, drawing 350 people with learning disabilities, their families, and friends. That night, the Under the Stars nightclub was born.
2008/2009
Under the Stars grew into a small social enterprise, hosting two nightclubs a year in Sheffield and testing them in other South Yorkshire locations. We found that many of our clubbers wanted to create live, loud rock music, so we began working to make that happen.
2010
People with learning disabilities were given more choice and control over their care services, allowing them to do activities they love. We started our first weekly rock music group on Fridays, which quickly filled up and the musicians soon became known as “The Stars Band."
2011
We rented a space in Sheffield city centre to run our workshops and manage the business. Due to high demand, we started our second music group, which became the popular "Clubland Detectives." The Stars Band played at Tramlines Festival on the Peace Garden stage for the first time.
2012
Our music groups have mostly been male-dominated, reflecting the wider trend in the industry. We got funding for a 12-week Girl Band Project. Since then, the all-girl band, “The Sparkle Sistaz”, has thrived and become much more than just a music group for its members. We moved our service to rent space from The Burton Street Project in Hillsborough.
2013
We kept running three music workshops a week. Our Friday group launched their first album, "We Are Stars," and got great reviews. One of our songs was played on BBC Music by Jarvis Cocker, and we got amazing coverage from The Guardian.
2014
Due to increased demand, we launched our fourth music workshop on Mondays. This allowed even more budding musicians to find their voices and enabled us to deliver sessions that benefit over 60 people a week.
2015
We secured funding to deliver a Youth Music Project, aiming to bring our ethos and methods of music-making to a range of special schools in Sheffield. Additionally, our nightclub moved to the iconic Leadmill, enhancing our presence on the local music scene.
2016
We took over Sooper Troopers, a long-standing drama service in Sheffield, and began running drama workshops. This transition was challenging as our team doubled overnight, but we managed to adapt and grow and start what was to become an amazing drama service.
2017
We proudly celebrated 10 years of our nightclubs, a huge milestone for us. The Stars Band had the amazing chance to perform at BBC Music Day, and our bands being part of the Special Olympics that year was also very important to us, showing our commitment to inclusivity and empowerment.
2018
We successfully became a registered charity, which opened many doors for us. We performed a spectacular show “Under One Roof” where our groups performed together for the first time at Theatre Deli.
2019
We took part in our first sponsored running event, the Sheffield 10K, with a team of staff and participants. Our drama cast also performed a highly acclaimed version of “King Lear” at the Crucible Theatre.
2020
When Covid hit, we had to cancel all our in-person services and deliver them from home in challenging circumstances until the autumn. We launched Under the Stars TV on “Sheffield Live” so our groups could still shine. We rented a large space at Theatre Deli, allowing us to be together again while staying socially distanced.
2021
We performed on the Hillsborough stage at Tramlines for the first time. We got funding to buy brand new DJ decks from Pioneer DJ, which helped our nightclub and learners grow.
2022
We created an album and held a successful bands event at The Leadmill called “Sheffield Does Sheffield” to raise funds for Under the Stars. Our actors performed two original plays at The Crucible Theatre. Our nightclub reopened in April. Look North filmed the event, and BBC Breakfast aired the footage the next day.
2023
We put on a new play called “Boxing Clever” at The Crucible. We teamed up with Wentworth Woodhouse and artist Jason Wilsher-Mills to celebrate his exhibition and include more disabled artists. We also performed "A Reyt Good Sheffield Show" at The Performance Lab.
2024
We launched our Under the Stars record label on Bandcamp to feature our solo artists and bands. One of our tutors developed accessible software for VJing at our nightclub, which is truly incredible……… watch this space!
2025
Our busiest year yet! Our musicians performed and DJ'd at Tramlines, our Nightclub moved to The Foundry and our performers took part in Chance to Dance, Launch Pad Festival, I am Me Festival and at the Crucible with their production of 'Under the Stars War'
See what our community have to say about us!
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Welcome and Included
-Family CarerMy son is so excited to attend the groups. His confidence has grown, and he loves each member of staff who make him feel very welcome and included.
Included, Valued and Empowered
-StakeholderThe visible impact of seeing vulnerable and marginalised people, feeling included, valued, and empowered is wonderful to see.
New Experiences
-ParticipantIt's allowed me to try new experiences, develop my confidence and get more creative.
Discover Their True Potential
-FunderUnder the Stars helps people discover their true potential, and through that help build self-confidence and self-worth.
