Leading Welsh theatre company, Hijinx, scooped three awards on Thursday 21 March, ending a highly successful 2018-19 season with a bang.
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Hijinx, who always cast learning disabled and/or autistic actors in every production they create, won the St David Award for Culture, along with the Platinum and Arts awards at the Cardiff Life Awards. They were also nominated for the Civic award at the latter for their pioneering communications training for businesses.
Cardiff Life judges said: “Outstanding work promoting the importance of equal opportunity both on an individual basis and through outward-facing education and training. An astonishing, ambitious organisation, truly deserving of recognition.”
These wins conclude a spectacular season for Hijinx, who also won the International award from The Stage in January, in part for their ground-breaking work in Lesotho. Earlier this year, the company received critical acclaim for their international, inclusive production Into The Light. This brought together actors with and without learning disabilities from Wales, Italy and Spain to perform a physical theatre piece which toured UK venues and is soon to tour in Europe.
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CEO Clare Williams said: “The recognition at these award ceremonies is a real boost to Hijinx’s reputation on the theatre scene in Wales, the UK and beyond. In 2019 we will continue to tour the globe with our acclaimed productions, as well as premiere Mission Control, our collaboration with National Theatre Wales.
“Likewise, the nomination for our business training has bolstered our confidence that communicating well with vulnerable customers is an area organisations truly want to excel in. We have been contacted by more businesses than ever, who want to ensure their services for customers who need extra support are excellent. It’s heartening to see their investment in these essential skills. Along with this training, and our commitment to finding film opportunities for our actors, Hijinx’s horizons continue to broaden.”
In October 2018, Hijinx unveiled their new casting standards for the film industry, announcing their goal to see a learning disabled actor win an Academy Award by 2030. Hijinx Actors is the UK’s largest casting platform for learning disabled and neurodivergent actors, with over 60 professional actors ready to star in TV, film, and theatre productions.
