Having separate Disability Arts events
THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT THIS
It is important to have arts festivals just for ourselves
(learning disabled artists) because it will then be accessible
for all people with a learning disability and other disabled
artists.
Other artists can learn how they can make their arts
accessible to learning disabled people.
1
There are, for example, not many people with a learning
disability on TV. By doing things separately it makes sure
that learning disabled arts gets seen.
It gives learning disabled people a chance to lead and plan
things. We learn more from each other and get more support.
We get new ideas about how to make arts more accessible.
It gives learning disabled artists a chance to show what they
can do, to show their work and talk about it.
It is important that Black and Asian artists with a learning
disability have a chance. And that we do things in different
languages and ways.
2
THE THINGS THAT ARE NOT SO GOOD ABOUT THIS
It may not be accessible for other artists – disability
awareness – other disabilities.
Non disabled people may not come and see our work at
disability arts festivals.
3
Disability arts included in mainstream arts events
THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT THIS
All artists learn from each other. We share ideas about how
make better art.
It gives learning disabled people a chance to be equal and to
get programmed into mainstream theatres and festivals. It
shows how to do things equally.
More people will see learning disability arts. And that is
important to other arts companies.
4
It is also part of the DDA. It shows the organisers how to
involve and work with disabled artists.
It will help people to make all things accessible, eg web sites.
5
THE THINGS THAT ARE NOT SO GOOD ABOUT THIS
It may not be accessible or safe (eg where the place is, how
to get there). Information may not be accessible for us. It
may not be what we think of as accessible if non disabled
people organise it.
Learning disabled artists may not be included or taken
seriously.
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A mixture of separate Disability arts events AND mainstream
arts events that include disability arts
THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT THIS
I think it is important to do both, because this way other
people will know what disabled artists do and give them a
chance to be recognised in mainstream events. It gives
disabled artists a chance to have their work seen as they
want it to be seen. And to do art that talks about what
disabled artists think is important.
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THE THINGS THAT ARE NOT SO GOOD ABOUT THIS
Money isn’t fairly shared out in the arts. It is worse for people
with learning disabilities, because people fund what they
want to see happening. It is important that learning disabled
people are involved in decisions about how money is spent in
the arts.
8
PROGRAMMING
There is a danger that non disabled people want to take over
the way things are done rather than thinking of what an
artists does best. They should look at what is special in the
art.
There is a danger that learning disabled artists are
patronised.
On TV disabled parts are often played by non disabled
people and there are jokes about disabled people.
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QUALITY
Are you looking at the quality of the work or whether the
artist is disabled or non disabled?
When there is a commission it goes to a non disabled artist
unless the subject is about disability.
RICHARD WEST (with help from Gus Garside) Feb 2004
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