Hello and welcome to our first Baked Bean Insider of 2026!
And our 50th edition! The first two months of 2026 have been a gentle ease back into things for us at Baked Beans. This year for lunar New Year we celebrate the Year of the Horse, which is all about taking bold steps and embracing change. Our mission at Baked Beans is to champion people with learning disabilities by pushing boundaries, empowering lives and creating a space where every individual can thrive, so we think the Year of the Horse fits our vibe perfectly. In 2026, we hope to bring more fantastic shows, more events for people with learning disabilities, and we hope to expand our Talent Agency. Make sure to stick around to see us shine.
Enjoy the first edition of the year!
Charlotte Bell
The Baked Bean Insider Editor
Curious & creative connections
This month our Health and Well-Bean class visited the Royal Naval College to view an exhibition on Connection and Identity, a perfectly themed trip to compliment the class’ chosen topic for this term: Connection. Let’s hear from Well-Bean tutor, Emily, about how the trip went:
“So far this year, we’ve been exploring what connection means and discovering the many ways we are linked as a class, through our hobbies, interests, communities and beliefs. It’s been amazing to see how connected we really are.
Our recent trip gave us the chance to take that learning out into the community. We travelled to the Royal Naval College, where we were warmly welcomed, and immediately found a connection: the museum opened the same year that Baked Beans began! From the historic ‘Skittle Room’ (an early version of bowling, something many of our students enjoy on holiday) to the breath-taking Painted Hall, connections kept appearing. One student even remembered being an extra in Les Misérables, filmed in that very space!
The light sculptures representing DNA sparked conversations about our similarities and differences, while a powerful artwork of two hands set two metres apart helped us reflect on connection during COVID. Standing between them and “closing the gap” reminded us of the Makaton sign for connection which was a lovely full-circle moment.
Overall, the day was full of opportunities to connect with each other, the community, art, and with ourselves. We’re looking forward to continuing these reflections back in class as we explore what it truly means to connect.”
Engaging the community
February is the month for events, with a good selection of our Community Engagement programmes kick-starting.
The Baked Bean Dance Company will be working in collaboration with the NHS, South East London Cancer Alliance and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. Together with health professionals, they will co-design a series of fitness videos to support cancer patients with learning disabilities. The videos will encourage people to stay active and reinforce the importance of exercise as part of their support and treatment plans offering a range of levels and engaging, accessible ways to move.
Baked Bean Players will be partnering with The British Psychological Society Faculty for People with Intellectual Disabilities to co-design training simulations based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Family Therapy. These resources will support professional learning and improve communication styles when working with people with learning disabilities. Following development, two of our actors, Ramatu and Adam, will work alongside the BPS and their filming crew to create the final training programme.
The Baked Bean Choir performed at Learning from People with Learning Disabilities and Neurodivergence: Choices and Care at the End of Life, hosted by Princess Alice Hospice. The choir’s performance helped to amplify learning disability voices and added an uplifting atmosphere to the day.
Beans in Education will begin the first arm of their touring shows, with their T.i.E show Healthbites taking to the lecture theatre at Hertfordshire University this month. Using forum theatre and comedy, this show focuses on the health inequalities that people with learning disabilities face, and strives to educate student nurses in a safe and engaging environment.
‘The Natter’ with Gary
Hello dear readers, and welcome to The Natter, a brand new corner of The Baked Bean Insider where you can discuss anything that you need a spot of advice on. My name is Gary and I am here to help you on life’s journey. From friendship advice, to a rant about the current political climate, I want this to be a space where I can support fellow people with learning disabilities.
This month, our question comes from a young lady who is struggling to find love. Let’s hear from her.
“Hi Gary. Why is it so difficult to find love as someone with a learning disability?”
Ah good question, I’ve had a couple of coffees now, so the brain is ticking! Well, the way I see it, it all depends on the person and what you want out of a 2-way relationship. You need to look a bit further into why you think it is so difficult. I think society is a bit apprehensive about getting involved with PLD because there are so many misconceptions. Take away the disability for a minute and it’s difficult to find love anyway. Then add the disability back in and the barriers come up. We know there is no such word as ‘normal’, but society loves it.
Let me tell you something my dad told me, and this is going back a few years, “you’ve gotta love yourself before others”. Try taking care of yourself first, it’s almost being self-centred, but from a broader perspective. Once you feel confident in who you are, you will give off that energy into the world. Let me give you an honest piece of advice, don’t put yourself down because other people will do that for you”. Self-love comes first and then think about the relationship after. Love usually comes to you, so stick around for it.
Best of luck, love Gaz. X
Artists… assemble (for Series 2!)
Lights, camera… we’re back! We’re thrilled to announce that filming for Series 2 of The Assembly is officially underway and the excitement in the room is bigger than ever. Our Artists have been counting down the days, and now that cameras are rolling again, the buzz is back. This new series brings an incredible line-up of celebrities, and our artists are absolutely loving it. From big laughs to powerful, thought-provoking conversations, Series 2 promises even more unforgettable moments.
There’s already plenty of chatter behind the scenes, but we thought we’d let one of our stars tell you himself. Over to Marcus Taylor, the celebs left-hand man (literally), to give us the inside scoop on the next series…
Hello Marcus! How long have you been on this show?
I was in the pilot episode from BBC, and Series 1 and Series 2.
How have you found it so far?
It’s been fun doing it and I really like it. I always sit next to the famous people on the show, and I love it because you get to meet different people and get to know them properly.
You’re known for your cheeky energy with the celebs. How do you think this makes them feel?
I don’t know, probably amazing I presume! I’m cheeky with them because I can get away with it, it’s part of my personality all day every day. I think it’s good for the celebrities because I can imagine they feel quite nervous when they walk in and see 30 people looking back at them and lots of camera crew.
Who was your favourite celeb to interview?
It’s a toss up between David Tennant and Jade from Little Mix. Jade was beautiful (that’s not the point, I know), and David is cheeky like me!
Where would you like this newfound fame to take you next?
More TV jobs. Some soaps. Probably Eastenders, not Coronation Street. Or maybe Panto.
Who should we expect on the next Series?
It’s a slightly different vibe this series, so look out for some unexpected faces!
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Until next month
We hope you enjoyed reading about our first few months of the year.
Keep an eye out for our next edition where we give you a spring update – it’s going to be full to be brim!
Until next time,
The Baked Bean Charity x