Disability

Theatre company Graeae has reopened applications to its artist development programme for disabled creatives, Beyond.

Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists are being invited to apply to the programme, which works to remove barriers and support the development of under-represented creatives.

The next edition of the programme will run from September 2023 to March 2025 and support 20 artists in total.

The scheme is open to applicants at all career stages, with a commitment to creating live performance as a performer, writer, director, producer, designer or technician.

To deliver the next round, Graeae is teaming up with the seven venues nationwide - Cast, Derby Theatre, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, Hull Truck Theatre, Nottingham Playhouse, Octagon Bolton and Shakespeare North Playhouse in Prescot – which will each offer tailored development support, advice, training, mentoring and use of creative spaces to the chosen artists.

“[These venues] will ensure that Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists are at the heart of everything and not on the side-lines,” Graeae Artistic Director Jenny Sealey said.

Selected artists will also receive micro bursaries, networking opportunities and support with funding applications.

An expression of interest form is open until 26 June, with more information on Graeae’s website.

A 3D virtual museum is set is to launch this week, showcasing objects from the National Paralympic Heritage Trust (NPHT).

The Digital Explorations Celebration & Virtual Museum, launching on Wednesday (19 April) at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the birthplace of the Paralympic movement, will showcase objects including mascots, clothing and sports equipment.

The museum is part of the Digital Exploration Project, funded by the Rothschild Foundation and National Lottery Heritage Fund, with support from the Heart of Bucks.

The result of three years of work, the exhibition brings together more than 65 objects curated and scanned by participants from local disability organisations from across Buckinghamshire. 

The collection also includes artefacts from other museums, items from students at Pebble Brook School and artefacts from NPHT’s own collection.

Participants received professional training and work experience in historical research and cataloguing, digital 3D scanning, photogrammetry and editing.

“We are proud to support NPHT’s Digital Exploration project, preserving and sharing their inspirational Paralympic heritage of international significance, through the digital innovation of 3D models and exhibitions, promoting wider access for disabled people, young people and researchers,” said Leona Forsyth, Senior Grants Manager at the Rothschild Foundation.

“This work is also helping build a local cultural sector that is inclusive, vibrant and resilient. 

“The team’s personal approach and dedication to meeting individual needs through mentoring and training is developing the life skills and improving the quality of life and well-being of disabled participants, while helping build a more diverse, representative heritage workforce locally.”

Commissioning body Unlimited has awarded over £660,000 in funding to 19 new artistic commissions in its UK & International Partner Awards 2022/23.

The biannual partner awards are designated for disabled artists, the initiative being part of Unlimited’s remit to dismantle barriers faced by disabled artists.

The commissions are funded by Arts Council England, Arts Council of Wales, Creative Scotland and 13 partner organisations.

The British Council contributed £280,000 towards seven international awards. 

The projects funded include a theatre project exploring disabled LGBTQ+ experience in the Highlands of Scotland, a one-woman dance show inspired by Black hair culture, an immersive forest experience created in Brazil and the UK, and a circus performance devised by artists in the UK and Zimbabwe.

“These commissions represent such an exciting range of talent and ambition. We are proud to celebrate the diverse range of perspectives and experiences encapsulated in these awards,” Unlimited’s Programme Manager Isabella Tulloch Gallego commented.

“We look forward to supporting these artists and companies in creating meaningful and impactful work that engages audiences and pushes boundaries.”

A collaborative workshop is planning to make outdoor musical instruments more accessible, particularly to young people who are blind or partially sighted.

The workshop, a collaboration between Percussion Play, the Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC) and the Amber Trust, will take place at RSBC’s Life Without Limits Centre in London in April, to discover how Percussion Play’s instruments can be improved and made more accessible for vision-impaired children and young people.

The session will be facilitated by Amber Music practitioner Gennie Joy, who will guide children and their families in how to play instruments from Percussion Play, including Babel Drums, Cyclone, Cavatina and Tubular Bells.

Percussion Play hopes the workshop will help it identify the shapes, heights, colours and finishes most beneficial to people with vision impairments.

The instrument manufacturer also hopes to create a new instrument specifically for people who are blind or partially sighted during the collaborative session.

“We are excited to be working with the RSBC and The Amber Trust to discover how we can make our instruments even more inclusive,” said Jody Ashfield, Co-Founder and CEO of Percussion Play.

“Our instruments are designed so everyone can enjoy making music and we hope to improve our current range by engaging with young people who are partially sighted and discover what changes could be made to make them more accessible.”

The Southbank Centre has become the first UK venue to be awarded Platinum accessibility status by disability-led charity Attitude is Everything.

The Attitude is Everything Platinum Award recognises commitment to providing the best possible experience for audiences and understanding the potential access requirements of Deaf, disabled, neurodivergent and people with health conditions.

It has been awarded to the Southbank Centre for the its efforts to improve access and inclusion to live events.

The accolade forms part of Attitude is Everything’s Live Events Access Charter, designed to help arts organisations build disability equality into their venues or events, with Platinum being the highest of four awards.

Attitude is Everything’s Head of Programmes Gideon Feldman said the Southbank Centre has been a commitmed member of the Charter for the last six years.

“From the very beginning they have asked what they can do to push their access offer beyond what the Charter expects,” Feldman added.

“The Southbank Centre has considered customer journeys, artists working at their venues, engaging and developing staff and setting minimum standards for companies and brands using their spaces.” 

“In becoming the first venue to be accredited at the Platinum level, the Southbank Centre has demonstrated how access and inclusion is at the core of how the company operates and how they wish to be seen as a venue - engaged with disabled people to constantly strive to offer the best possible experience.”