Disability and the arts - what's on
This page lists current arts and disability events, activities and news.
Smudged
Wednesday 14 May, 3pm
Tate Modern in MacAulay Studio A
Smudged brings together the work of the Rocket Artists and Corali dancers. The resulting performance explores ideas and responses to Tate Modern Collection through movement, live projection, drawing, installation, words and sound
Corali is a professional performance group made up of adults with learning disabilities. Renowned for original, exciting and site specific performances and for its collaborative practice.
The Rocket Artists are a group of visual artists with learning disabilities based in Brighton.
Places are limited and booking is essential. To book: contact Corali Dance Company by email: corali@btconnect.com or tel: 020 7091 7113.
The Conquest of the South Pole
Oval House Theatre
Presented for the first time by an all-disabled cast, this piece has been reworked to highlight issues around disability and employment.
Four disabled friends decide to stave off the dole-queue blues by re-enacting Amundsen’s famous 1911 expedition to the South Pole. Sheets become icebergs and wheelchairs become mountains in this fast-paced, inspiring conquest of the imagination.
Tickets: £12/£6 concessions
Box office: 020 7582 7680
Online sales: www.ovalhouse.com (no fee)
BSL Incorporated in the show
Audio described performance: Friday 23 May, 7.45pm
Venue: Oval House Theatre, Kennington Oval, London SE11
Transport: Oval Tube (one-minute walk Northern Line) Buses 3, 36, 59, 133, 155, 159, 185, 436
Access: Induction Loop. Flat ground floor wheelchair access in downstairs theatre. Audio brochure available on request. Guide dogs are welcome. Escorts accompanying wheelchair users come in free.
Car park: For disabled visitors only, free on-street parking after 6.30pm (not in Congestion Charge area)
Café: Open theatre nights for wines, beers and meals.
Amp London Link Up Programme
Amp London has teamed up with Shape to launch Link Up a free bespoke mentoring service for dyslexic and disabled artists, designer makers and crafts people studying/living and working in London.
The programme is fully funded for three years by the LDA and is open to anyone with a London postcode.
Amp has a specialist knowledge of the arts and can offer 6 hours of one to one mentoring to creatives over a 3-6 month period. They also run free seminars and all of their mentors are cherry picked from the creative industries and are practicing experts in their own fields.
To find out more visit www.amplondon.co.uk
To register for support please contact Amp London at:
Tel: 08448 008 851
Email: info@amplondon.co.uk
Arts Interest Group
Access for disabled people
Offer a door to door service, enabling people with mobility difficulties to visit art exhibitions in London’s galleries and museums, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain, Tate Modern, the British museum and many more…
Members are sent programmes every three months and they can choose where they want to go. Trips run every month.
AIG transport each Arts Interest Group member in a minibus, from their home to the exhibition where AIG volunteers are on hand to offer assistance. Members can bring their own carers if they prefer.
Members can use their own wheelchairs or borrow one from the gallery if they need to. Trained AIG volunteers are available to anyone who needs help. Members spend about 3 hours visiting the gallery and their time is their own.
There is a small annual subscription of £5 and there is a charge for transport. Members also pay to get into the exhibitions at concessionary rates.
To find out more and to receive an application form, contact:
Arts Interest Group
Kingswood House
Seeley Drive
London SE21 8QR
T: 020 8761 4898
F: 020 8761 4898
Email: artsinterest@tinyworld.co.uk
Art Spider
Mencap are very proud to announce the exciting new learning disability arts website, Art Spider.
Art Spider is a great place for people with a learning disability to:
- Share ideas and information
- Try something new
- Show their work
- See the work of other learning disabled artists
There are 5 main sections:
- What’s on let’s you find out about events in your area
- Gallery is where you can see and hear art, films and music
- Give it a go is your change to make and print your own art
- Have your say lets you have your say! This is where you can tell us what you think of Art Spider or the arts generally.
- Art Links gives links to websites of other learning disability art groups.
Brixton Shed
Are you interested in drama, music and dance? Would you like to meet other young people and get involved in performing and creating your own theatre shows?
Brixton Shed was established as a Chickenshed outreach project in September 2004. They are an inclusive theatre company which means that their focus is on enabling young people who may not usually be part of a theatre group, for reasons perhaps such as disability, or for social or financial reasons.
The workshops are run inclusively with emphasis on cultivating the young people’s own creativity and working together as equals. And it doesn’t matter if you have never done any drama or performing arts before - there is no audition process because they believe that everyone has an invaluable gift to offer and share.
Brixton shed hold two sessions on a Monday night during term time in Brixton. Children’s Theatre (ages 7-11) runs from 5.30-6.45pm and Youth Theatre (ages 12-16) runs from 7.30-8.45pm. The cost is £10 for the term.
Please get in touch to reserve or book a place (contact details below):
Brixton St Vincent’s Community Centre
Talma Road
London SW2 1AS
Tel: 07758 642233
Email: brixtonshed@hotmail.co.uk
Or visit the Brixton Shed website
DOING ARTS
Doing Arts is a set of introductory guides on running projects for people with a learning disability.
To find out more contact:
Mencap
123 Golden Lane
London EC1Y 0RT
Tel: 020 7454 0454
Fax: 020 7696 5540
Email: information@mencap.org.uk
Potential
Dance and Disabled People - Email updates
Potential is the Foundation for Community Dance's programme of work focused on dance and disabled people.
One of the aims within this programme is to provide information and support to artists, arts organisations and venues nationally. An effective way to do this regularly is via email updates.
These email updates are intended to keep people up to date and connected to opportunities, events, activities and strategic developments relating to dance and disabled people and will act as a regular mechanism for information exchange.
This is a free service. If you would like to receive these updates then register your interest by emailing potential@communitydance.org.uk
Celebrate the re-launch of Shape Tickets
Shape are delighted to announce that the new Shape Tickets website has just gone live!
They are now able to offer disabled and deaf members of the service something that is completely unique in the UK, and possibly even the world. That is, an automated booking system that is capable of:
- booking tickets for arts and cultural events that meet exact access needs,
- matching the member with a volunteer access assistant to take them to their chosen event.
As with anything that has never been done before, building a new system that accommodates everyone’s needs has been an enormous challenge.
Shape Tickets will have a direct impact on the quality of life of many deaf and disabled people by enabling them to visit London attractions that would otherwise be inaccessible. The service is a key component of Shape’s Open the Door Campaign, which seeks to unite the arts, culture and entertainment sectors in a commitment to becoming accessible to deaf and disabled people.
Shape Tickets will offer:
- significantly reduced price tickets to a range of shows, from musicals and comedy, to classical music, films and plays
- accessible seats, such as near the front, in a wheel chair space, or on level access
- information on venue accessibility, local accessible parking or transport
- free access assistants/drivers, to take members to the event.
To become a Shape Tickets Member or Volunteer Access Assistant, or simply to find out more about the service, please visit the Shape Tickets page of the Shape website or give Shape Tickets a call on 020 7619 6166 or email bookings@shapearts.org.uk
South Bank Centre access list
The creation of the free Access List is part of a development programme to improve services and facilities at the South Bank Centre (SBC) for deaf and disabled people.
By joining the list you may be entitled to concessionary ticket prices.
Members of the Access List will be sent a free copy of Southbank, the monthly events guide and will receive updates about other events, developments and activities at the South Bank Centre in addition to Access List information.
For more information and an Access List application form contact the South Bank Centre on:
Access List
Freepost
Royal Festival Hall
London SE1 8BR
Tel: 020 7921 0971
Email: accesslist@rfh.org.uk