‘Arts and Aesthetic’ (A&A) is a partnership project with a focus on the exchange of good practice. A&A will explore inclusive practice in the arts and disability sector, specifically, but not exclusively, focussing on those who are learning disabled. The project will research, explore, test, and develop ways of embedding access into performance so that neither audience nor performer is disassociated from the performance itself. This will challenge the aesthetic of conventional performance. A&A will bring best practice to the fore, raising the quality and accessibility of learning disabled performance to creating new opportunities for new audiences. Throughout the project we will explore the concept of access and quality in learning disability arts: How do we fully embed access into performance; maintain quality in the creative process and include everyone? How important is quality access and how does it help improve participation and inclusion? Through practical explorations of the work of partner organisations and initiating conversations between partners we will • explore the concept of full access in creative work by/for learning disabled people. • develop and test new approaches to embedding access into performance • explore the process and value of critical thinking.• learn new methods of integrating access into performance. • recognise the importance of quality work with/for learning disabled people and raise the aspirations of learning disabled people. Learning Teaching Training Events will run alongside the explorations in order for workers (including those who are learning disabled) to learn techniques that will enable them to embed access into their own work. These activities will take place in each partner country and will target arts workers, artists, disability workers and those working within arts and disability from within the partner organisations. 16 places will be available for these LTT activities in each partner country who will work together with staff and groups of up to 15 learning disabled people from the host organisation. It is estimated that 50% of participants attending the LTT from partner countries will be learning disabled. Through a combination of transnational workshops, conversations, learning events, online discussion and evaluation of ongoing activity within partner organisations the project will explore current approaches, experiences and models, investigate what is important and what isn't, explore what works and what doesn't and find ways to communicate that to the current conversations taking place regarding quality, inclusion and learning disability in the arts. More specifically the project will: - challenge preconceptions of learning disabled performance and its aesthetic, - enable learning disabled people to be more active both within the partner organisations and within their communities - enable learning disabled people to learn the importance of accessibility in their work so they are more able to compete within the mainstream - develop the confidence and self- esteem of learning disabled people and increase their motivation and understanding of what they can achieve - provide european platforms for the work of learning disability artists - create new opportunities for the participating organisations to expand their current programme of work - create new opportunities for both learners and staff through the learning of new skills and working practices - enable participating organisations and those working within those organisations to progress within their field - improve language and communication skills of learners and staff involved in the project - a greater awareness of the role disadvantaged people can play in the social, economic and cultural life of their communities - contribution to the current national debates on quality and learning disability in the arts - bringing a European perspective to the current debates on quality and learning disability in the arts - a raised profile of the use of the arts as a tool for change - a stronger European arts and disability community working for the benefits of learning disabled people and in the current and longer term, add value to the existing debates on quality and learning disability in the arts.
The project was designed to research, explore, test and develop ways of embedding access into performance, improving accessibility whilst maintaining aesthetic quality, bringing best practice to the fore, raising the quality and accessibility of learning disabled performance. Through this we wanted to: • increase the participation of disabled people in the arts, both as artist and audience • create a greater awareness of issues of access in cultural settings • increase the cultural contribution of people with learning disabilities to the wider community
The project was developed to explore inclusive practice in the arts so that we could improve the access, opportunities and experience of people who are learning disabled or neurodiverse. Exploring concepts of access and inclusion in disability arts we looked at how we can generate fully inclusive opportunities that allow total access for both participants and audience without compromising artistic quality or disassociating the disabled person. We collectively identified common barriers experienced: isolation; loneliness; a denial of experiences of quality; environmental factors, a lack of understanding in the mainstream of needs and how these are best overcome; low confidence; lack of independence; having decisions made for you; communication issues; little or no understanding of the concept of democracy; lack of expectation or low expectation. Low quality, non-democratic activities have become the norm for this target group. When activities are accessed there is a tendency to be offered provision of lower quality because expectations of the individual are low. Access is often limited to a wheelchair ramp and a sign language interpreter which disassociates the disabled person from others.