Disability

A new guide to help festivals, literature organisations and publishers run online and in-person hybrid events is now available.

Written by CRIPtic Arts Director Jamie Hale, in consultation with D/deaf and disabled writers, the Being Hybrid guide is designed to support time and resource limited organisations.

The guide hopes to prevent “shutting the door” on those who benefited from the increase in hybrid events during the pandemic, namely those who are geographically dispersed, disabled, poorer or have caring responsibilities.

Hale says hybrid programming can be simple and quick, adding the guide gives “the cheapest and fastest way of offering online as well as offline access to events”.

It covers five reasons for making an event hybrid, how to go hybrid with limited time and tech, putting ideas into practice, advice on including hybrid speakers and facilitators, and access to hybrid events.
 
The guide is available in full, summary, plain english, BSL and in audio and video formats.

A Scottish theatre company has launched a new initiative to help disabled people get involved with performing arts.

Cutting Edge Theatre, based in Edinburgh, has received funding from the ScottishPower Foundation for its Inspire Disability Arts programme.

The theatre company said the programme will establish a clear pathway into theatre for those of primary school age all the way to professional training and employment.

Suzanne Lofthus, artistic director at Cutting Edge Theatre, said: “It’s about offering equal access to the performing arts. I was able to do drama at school and then join a youth theatre.

“People with disabilities should have the same access I had, whether they want to pursue a career in theatre or just take a class for fun.

“When I started to look to see where in Scotland learning-disabled people could train in performing arts in a supported environment with their peers, the answer is almost nowhere.

“This award from the ScottishPower Foundation means we can start to change that.”

The Unlimited commissioning programme for disabled artists is becoming an independent organisation.

After nine years of delivery by Shape Arts and ArtsAdmin, Unlimited is relocating to Wakefield next month.

Since 2013, the programme has granted nearly £5m to more than 460 disabled creatives, supporting some 3,500 events.

Shape Arts and ArtsAdmin said they were proud of the "pioneering, provocative and incredibly talented artists" they'd supported together.

"The Unlimited commissions are testament to this and to the sheer creative force that can be unlocked when the barriers facing disabled creatives are addressed and dismantled," David Hevey, Chief Executive at Shape Arts, said.

Brighton-based Parable Dance has launched a sister company in New York.

The company, which delivers inclusive workshops and classes for disabled people, is renaming itself as Parable Dance UK as it expands.

Co-Founders Natasha Britton and Erica Moshman will lead on the UK and US arms of the business respectively.

Their methods have proved popular abroad - they have also been asked to deliver training in Norway.

"We are thrilled that within just over two years we've expanded enough to be able to take this exciting step," Britton said.

"The UK are seen as leaders in inclusive dance approaches and we feel proud to be able to take these methods to the US, to support the next generations of dancers and teachers there."

The National Open Youth Orchestra (NOYO) is going on tour for the first time.

The orchestra consists of disabled and non-disabled musicians aged 11-25 playing both acoustic and electronic instruments tailored to disabled performers.

Launched in 2018, the orchestra is the world’s first disabled-led national youth ensemble.

NOYO says performances will be presented in a relaxed atmosphere to accommodate a neurodiverse audience, with dimmed lights, relaxed seating and consideration towards noise and audience movements.

A programme of four events, starting in London on April 24, is scheduled through to June.

Disabled actors are unable to perform at Theatre Colwyn because Conwy County Council cannot afford a wheelchair lift.

The council owned theatre underwent a £740,000 redevelopment in 2011 that included disabled access on all floors, but no disabled access to the stage.

During a committee meeting, Theatre Colwyn Manager Phil Batty said installing backstage disabled access would cost a £250,000.

He said: "It is the lift issue that is the cost. We did look into that, but it hasn’t moved any further. Obviously we’ve had Covid the last few years, but we will certainly pick it up again."

Conwy Counil’s Head of Economy and Culture Sarah Ecob said council is considering an installation, but it is complicated by the building's footprint.

Conwy disability champion Frank Bradfield called the issue an equal rights matter: “The cost of the lift doesn’t come into the rights or wrongs of it. You can’t discriminate against people on grounds of disability.”

A new initiative aimed at increasing disabled representation in the music industry has launched in Bristol.

Founded by artist management company Harbourside, The Disability Empowerment Programme is looking to recruit a young music manager with a disability, long-term health condition or neurodiversity into a paid internship.

The programme follows research by Harbourside indicating half of disabled music workers don’t disclose their conditions.

Owner Ben Price hopes the new initiative will help change perceptions the music industry is an inaccessible place for disabled people to work.

"It won’t be a short journey, but the Disability Empowerment Programme will hopefully help to improve the number of disabled people working in the industry both on stage and behind the scenes."