Birds of Paradise Theatre Company

Established in 1993, Birds of Paradise is Scotland’s disability-led theatre company.
We place disabled artists centre-stage and nurture future generations by producing world-class productions and projects in Scotland, the UK and internationally. Our work strives to bring about a positive change in the arts, so that disabled artists are valued for the excellence of their work, celebrated for the stories they bring to the stage and recognised as a vital part of the artistic landscape.

Birds of Paradise (BOP) understands that disabled people continue to experience a lack of equality and considerable barriers within society, including the arts. We work across three strands, to challenge and address this.

BOP Theatre: Award-winning, innovative work that creatively embeds pioneering access provision and is made by disabled and non-disabled artists.
BOP Development: Accessible training and development opportunities for disabled artists, to support emerging careers.
BOP Strategic: Training and consultation delivered to industry bodies, to increase the accessibility of the sector, and society as a whole.

Our pioneering, access-centred approach has supported disabled artists associated with BOP to establish careers in theatre and television, and has been widely replicated across the sector.

Support Type

• Access Auditing
• Coaching
• Consultancy
• Knowledge Base
• Mentoring
• One to One Support / Support Line
• Training
• Usability Testing

Artforms supported

• Combined Arts
• Craft
• Dance
• Festivals
• Film/Screen
• Libraries
• Literature
• Museums
• Music
• Performing Arts
• Theatre
• Visual Arts

Operates in

• England
• Northern Ireland
• Online
• Scotland
• Wales