The Assembly Hall’s dressing room gets a makeover from the SAND Project

Worthing’s innovative SAND Project provides work training opportunities to help young people with special educational needs transition into paid employment. For the last few years, WTM have been partnering with SAND on projects that introduce their trainees to various roles within the theatre industry. Most recently, the interior design trainees have renovated the main dressing room in the Assembly Hall.

About The SAND Project

The SAND project is a unique business college in Worthing. They provide enterprise opportunities that support young people in developing their work skills. The training streams that run at SAND depend on the interests and desires of their trainees. SAND also runs local businesses, which allow their trainees to experience real-world work environments. They have their own cafe and B&B onsite at the college. These are all staffed by trainees and stocked with tasty treats, products, and artwork made in-house by the trainees. You can also buy products through their online store.

The SAND project & WTM

We have partnered with SAND on previous projects. The interior design trainees completed a makeover of one of the Pavilion dressing rooms in 2022. They have also visited the Connaught Theatre to take an immersive tour behind the scenes of the cinema. SAND project trainees have met members of staff from the technical, marketing, and front-of-house teams to learn about the range of roles within our charity. Visits like these help the trainees gain an insight into the opportunities that lie beyond, or behind, the stage curtains in an arts organisation.

SAND Design & Decor pathways

Sand Design is a creative pathway that encourages artistic expression, whilst also exploring the real-world application of working to design briefs. The design trainees have worked on the interior design for their B&B, and the garden courtyard at the college. Since the autumn of 2023, the trainees have been working on designs for the main dressing room at the Assembly Hall.

Ideas and Inspirations

To begin their work, the trainees considered the space they were working in. The room’s layout and functionality, the practicality of the design, and the architecture of the Assembly Hall are all important factors. Their colour choices and design aesthetic have been inspired by features around the building. They took photos to create a moodboard and help develop their ideas. In considering the ‘instagrammable wall’ aspect of the brief, they shared their colour schemes and design ideas with one of the trainees on the art pathway. 

The Design

The trainees have created a room that feels luxurious, cosy and relaxing for visiting stars before and after their gigs. The room also features a bespoke wall design, intended to be an Instagrammable feature, which was a specific request from WTM’s CEO, Amanda O’Reilly. The design takes into account the Assembly Hall’s function as a historic performance venue, as well as its Art Deco architecture. Creating a comfortable environment and a relaxing ambience have been the main goals in this design, as well as maximising the space and better utilising storage.

The bespoke wall feature is still to be installed. The design is a bold Art Deco-inspired illustration of the Assembly Hall, completed in colours that complement the rich hues of the rest of the design. We hope our guests in the dressing room enjoy taking selfies in front of this unique feature.

Thank You, SAND

The trainees at SAND have worked incredibly hard on this design, and we are grateful for their fantastic work. We are excited to continue working with SAND for many years to come. If you wish to find out more about SAND you can visit their website.