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EtCetera Issue 243
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The National Disability Arts Forum
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Jun 25, 2004 11:28 PDT
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Contents: == From NDAF == Get Netted == Have Your Say == Job
Opportunities == Get Involved == Individual Enquiries == Training &
Workshops == Got Some Spare Time? == TV & Radio: Pick of the Week ==
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From NDAF
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* Win 5 Copies of ‘A is for Autism *
The British Film Institute is offering EtCetera readers the chance to
win a copy of the multi-award winning film ‘A is for Autism’ by Tim
Webb, which is out now on video and DVD.
“ A brilliant glimpse into the world of autism, with words, drawings,
music and animation all contributed by autistic people.”
All you need to do is send an email to <compet-@ndaf.org>. Please
include your name and postal address in the message, and let us know if
you prefer video or DVD.
The winners will be the first five entries arriving in the mailbox.
(Offer open to all UK residents, excluding employees of the British Film
Institute and The National Disability Arts Forum. One entry per person.
Prize is non-transferable. No cash alternative)
For more details on the bfi Video releases go to <www.bfi.org.uk/video>.
* Free advertising for Cultural Diversity Groups *
Disabled people from culturally diverse backgrounds are now recognised
as a distinct sector within both the black, minority and ethnic
communities and the disabled community. Yet their identity as artists is
only just beginning to emerge. To enhance and develop the opportunities
for culturally diverse disabled artist, the National Disability Arts
Forum is offering arts organisations that have cultural diversity at the
core of their work free advertising in its weekly newsletter EtCetera.
This offer is open for a period of 9 months and includes posts /
consultancies (for which there is usually a charge), events, commissions
and announcements. We hope that organisations will choose advertise and
promote all aspects of their work not just those that relate to
disability.
To send a press release, post / consultancy advert or other information
to EtCetera, email <sil-@ndaf.org> , mentioning Cultural Diversity in
the subject line.
EtCetera has an estimated readership of 5,000. Deadline for inclusion is
3pm Fridays for publication that day or the following.
The post / consultancy offer includes disability arts / arts and
disability organisations and mainstream arts organisations where the
post / consultancy is specifically related to black, minority and or
ethnic work.
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Get Netted
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* Can Do Exchange.org *
The Can Do Exchange is a new kind of social market place designed to
help you gain access to a wide range of resources and opportunities to
put your idea’s into action.
There are opportunities to buy, sell, barter, hire,gift or use community
currencies to exchange all kinds of resources, from services, transport,
information sheets to office equipment, meeting rooms and people’s
skill’s.
Membership is free for individuals, and is on a sliding scale(starting
at GBP 10) for organisations depending on turnover.
Visit <www.candoexchange.org>.
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Have Your Say
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The Northern Disability Arts Forum’s symposium “Disability Arts in the
21st century - Planning for Action and Change” brought together
disability arts practitioners and managers from all over the UK to
discuss ways forward for our sector. We asked the speakers who took part
in the ‘21st Century Perspectives Panel’.to air their opinions in ETC.
And here we go, a warm welcome to:
* Karen Sheader
Disability Arts in the 21st Century: My Perspective as a Practising
Artist *
Back in 1996 I staged what I called a Disability Arts Festival in the
Town Hall Theatre, Hartlepool. It was compeered by Tom Shakespeare, and
on the bill were veteran Disability Arts performers of the day, Sue Vass
and Ian Stanton. Top of the bill, however, I'd placed the Roaring Mouse
Drama Group, performing with myself and my then partner, Neill Raftery.
What did we do? We got 24 people with learning difficulties up on stage,
singing We Can Work It Out and Summertime Blues, bashing away at
instruments all tuned to the key of D.
Later on, having realised the grave error of my ways, I included this
experience in a Fugertivs song, Rights Not Charity. Not long after that
'Festival', I got a research commission with Tyneside Disability Arts,
the subject being Disability Arts in Sunderland.
It took six months to find out that there wasn't any.
As a response to the research, we set up a drama and music project with
12 people with learning difficulties. Significantly, despite being
called an advocacy group, they were controlled by the city's Social
Services department.... ....who, strangely, took exception to the
material the group produced, which included sketches featuring
characters such as Councillor Talktosh, songs such as The Pissed-Off
Song and Bar-Room Bollocks - the bastards closed us down! But there were
good things which came from that. The Fugertivs arose from the ashes of
disaster and continued to amaze, delight and annoy people for a couple
of years afterwards, and I learned a really valuable lesson... hasten
slowly! Having a project which was closed down by Social Services was
great for my reputation as an activist, but 10 people lost their
artistic voice and their opportunity to change attitudes while working
on something they enjoyed immensely.
At the Sub Rosa cabaret night hosted by TDA at Live Theatre Newcastle at
the end of 1999 I was unaware that we were being filmed, but the
following year I was approached by Carpet Films to play one of the leads
in Salvage - or Savage, as it was dubbed by the Hartlepool Mail.
Apparently I looked like somebody who wouldn't mind making an arse of
myself in public. ... So far in my film-acting career I have played an
alcoholic bag lady, the neighbour from hell, and an axe murderer.
Playing the part of Joyce in Salvage gave me an opportunity to work with
people from outside the Disability Arts movement who were willing to
listen and employ their skills and talents for a movement they
supported, which made me develop another rule for myself as a disabled
artist and facilitator: be inclusive
Grass roots Disability Arts practitioners were telling me, 'We lose
something when we include non-disabled people in our work. It just
doesn't have the edge.' But because Carpet Films were interested in and
inspired by the issues surrounding disability, and totally took on board
the Social Model, I was able to set up Shoot Your Mouth Off, the
Teesside-based disabled people's film-making group, whose films have
been shown in London, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, San Francisco and
Moscow. Caglar Kinyoncu, who coordinates the London Disability Arts
Forum's Disability Film Festival, has said that he wishes to use Killer
Cure, a SYMO film, as 'a model of good practice'. Grin and Bare it work
with Martine d'Ellard to produce hard-edged Disability Theatre, another
example of highly effective collaboration. Tees Valley Arts, a
mainstream arts organisation, supports both Roaring Mouse and Shoot Your
Mouth Off financially but adopts a very hands-off approach, leaving the
disabled people in those groups to author their own direction without
compromising their practice.
Back in 1999, Johnny Crescendo was saying, 'The scene's had enough of
one man and his guitar.' He was referring to himself and people like the
late Ian Stanton, who have played such an important and significant role
in creating disability anthems. 'Tragic but Brave', 'Proud, Angry and
Strong', and - though it's more than one guitar) Lisa Dennis's 'Let's
Riot' have all been instrumental in motivating protesters and making
sure we got noticed. But I do think Johnny's right. Even in a setting
where the audience is tuned in to the politics, we need to raise the
game. If we're to be noticed outside of our own area of operation, there
are many barriers still to overcome. As a practising artist, I consider
the significant barriers are:
* Access - my own Town Hall Theatre doesn't have an accessible stage,
for example.. But accessible information and publicity is also a huge
barrier, particularly to visually impaired people and those with
learning difficulties.
* Image - we're still seen as 'worthy'. and marginalized. Acts such as
Laurence Clark's All Star Charity Show received great reviews at the
Edinburgh Festival last year, but he's still categorized primarily as a
disabled comedian, when his material is funny, imaginative and
thought-provoking enough to engage mainstream television audiences. *
There aren't enough of us. It's great being a big fish in a small pond,
but we need to provide more opportunities for disabled people to become
involved in Disability Arts, as practitioners and as consumers
/audience.
*An unwillingness to form partnerships. I was told once by a leading
disability rights activist that 'there's a lot of wanky stuff going on
in Disability Arts'. Working with agencies which in the past have a
history of oppressing disabled people leads to accusations of 'selling
out' or 'sleeping with the enemy'.
Which leads me to the next lesson I've learnt as a practising artist...
be vigilant Your agenda CAN be hijacked without you realising.. In 2001
I was asked to run a project for a Social Services Department -
obviously not Sunderland - which interpreted the findings of the Joint
Investment Plan so it was accessible to people using Learning
Disabilities Day Services. Some powerful material was produced through
Get A Life, songs, poetry, drama...but ultimately it was frustrating
because we weren't in control. We couldn't include anything that wasn't
part of the Joint Investment Plan. People were exploring and expressing
their feelings and frustrations about relationships and sexuality,
resentment towards controlling family members, about their desire to
have babies - but it wasn't in the plan, so we couldn't put it in. We
were helping to maintain a situation which kept those people from saying
what they really wanted. And we vowed we'd never do it again. But from
that experience arose another production devised with the Roaring Mouse
Drama Group - I'm Not That Innocent - a story of two people with
learning difficulties who are in love but face opposition to their
relationship from their families, so they decide to run away. And also
from that experience came a determination to use the drama, music,
poetry, visual art, video and multimedia technology to take control of
our lives. Using all those art forms to explore what is fundamental to
the happiness of disabled people in order to present our own agenda to
the people who make decisions which shape our lives, and to let other
disabled people know this too. Roaring Mouse and Carpet Films, Tees
Valley Arts and Hartlepool Social Services are developing a
ground-breaking new project which could place the consultation process
literally in the hands of people with learning difficulties, using DVD
technology, drama and music - I don't call that selling out - disabled
people are governing the process. In order to enhance our status and
visibility as an arts sector, from my perspective I think we should:
* keep banging the access drum, particularly with regard to accessible
information
* Provide more training programmes and opportunities for disabled
artists
* Collaborate with people who share our vision, whether they are
disabled or not, being careful not to compromise our political and
artistic goals.
* Maintain a quality bar -inclusion of the work of every person in a
group, for example, might make them feel better, but does us no favours
as artists if we have to be 'forgiven' for producing crap because we're
disabled.
*Actively promote our work - some arts organisations I've worked for
produce books, videos, CD's, paintings and posters only to leave them
stacked up in the office because nobody knew where to send them or
exhibit them.
Get into the festivals, get in the faces of the TV companies, put on
your own shows, harangue the galleries. And.support your DAFs!
(Comments welcome. Please send them to to <sil-@ndaf.org>)
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Job Opportunities
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"Sheer passion and brilliance" DAIL Magazine
Heart 'n Soul is looking for an exceptional Administrative Officer
(FT GBP 17,000)
to support the financial and company administration of our learning
disability-led arts organisation.
For more information about Heart 'n Soul and details of how to apply,
please go to www.heartnsoul.co.uk or call us on 020 8694 1632.
Application deadline 13th July. Interviews 19th & 22nd July. See our
work - Beautiful Octopus Club 15th July (evening).
We are committed to developing the cultural and personal diversity of
our organisation and to equality of opportunity.
Limited Company 2830733. Registered Charity 1023467.
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Get Involved
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* Go make !*
Newly formed Disability Arts Agency DADA-South is offering 6 bursaries
of GBP 1000 for disabled and deaf artists in any artform living in the
south east of England. Go Make! is a bursary scheme to celebrate the
launch of DADA-South and to help create a fresh, dynamic visual identity
for this new organisation.
Closing date: 30 July 2004.
Voice: 020 7269 7745, Email: <ka-@redfront.co.uk>, Text or voice: 07960
566243, Fax: 020 7404 0574
* Living Newsletters *
Living Newsletters is a concept that will enable South East Disabled and
Deaf artists to come together to share their work, knowledge and
experiences. The pilot for this project, will initially be 3 events in
different parts of the region, which will present both performance and
visual art. Each event will bring between up to 30 artists together to
share their work, experience and to explore opportunities for future
development. From out of the project they hope to nurture small local
groups of artists interested in developing creative projects. Each event
will be documented through video, photograph and written record. The
documentation will be held for publication on DaDa-South, or an
alternative website. Footage, images and text will be compiled onto a
‘Living Newsletter CD’, which will be distributed to a mixed audience,
for feedback and to act as a ‘live’ record of each event. Each event
will be organised by the ‘Living Newsletter’s coordinator’s, who are
themselves practising disabled artists.
There will be an invitation for disabled artists to bring along
portfolios or examples of their work to share at the events. Long term
they will work with DaDa South to create opportunities for artists to
develop similar events, which will enable a wider community to take
part.
Disabled artists will be given an opportunity to display their work on
the website. Recognising that not all Disabled and Deaf people have
access to the website or are familiar with how to use the internet. They
will work with DaDa South to identify appropriate local training.
The first event will be in Lewes, East Sussex on 17 July, from 11am-4pm.
We will be sharing presentations from Maria Kuipers, a visual artist who
has held Open Houses in Hove for many years; writer and poet Nikki
Batten and interactive artist Malcolm Buchanon-Dick. There will be an
opportunity to display / present your own work and to meet arts
development workers from Dada-South and the Arts Council, South East.
For further information and if you are interested in attending this
event please contact either Liz Porter or Colin Hambrook, with details
of your art form, and access needs. Phone: 01273 777313 Email:
<colin.h-@btinternet.com>.
* Milestone Not Millstone *
Tuesday September 14th at Unity Theatre, Hope Place
A day to celebrate 10 years of the Social Model of disability within
Liverpool City Council's policies and launch the Disability Strategy.
North West Disability Arts Forum are inviting Disabled or Deaf people or
groups from the Liverpool area to tender for a commission to write a
song, poem or other performance piece. This should be no more than 3
minutes and be performed on 14th September '04.
The fee is =GBP 100.
If you are interested, please send a short idea of what you would like
to do, by 30th July 2004.
If you have any questions, do contact Ruth Gould
NWDAF, 1 - 27 Bridport Street, Liverpool L3 5QF, T: 0151 707 1733, F:
0151 708 9355, M: 0151 706 0365, E: <inform-@nwdaf.co.uk>.
* Picture this... *
Canada's First International Disability Film Festival is accepting
films/videos until September 30, 2004.
Film/videos by disabled filmmakers, and films/videos on disability
topics are eligilble.
There is no entry fee this year for their fourth festival.
You can get an entry form and more information at:
<www.ptff.org>, or e-mail <dire-@ptff.org>.
* Make a Noise in Libraries *
Make a Noise in Libraries is the focal week in the year to promote your
library’s inclusive services to blind and partially sighted people in
your area.
The National Library for the Blind (NLB) is asking you to hold events
that encourage visually impaired people into your library. You could
launch new access technology, develop an inclusive reading group, invite
the local visual impairment society to take a tour of your facilities
... or anything else you can think of.
NLB will provide ideas and support for your events. To ensure you get
your Make a Noise in Libraries promotional pack, register your event
details by calling 0161 355 2007 or <email campaigns@
nlbuk.org/campaigns>.
* MBH Art E-Gallery *
MBH ART is an E-Commerce Art Gallery in North America and the United
Kingdom. Their mission is "To connect International Artists for
representation of outstanding talent for recognition and sales of the
following categories: Avant-garde, Contemporary, Folk, Urban, and
Traditional art."
They invite artists to become individual members of its online gallery
registry. The registry provides opportunities for artists to have
gallery, museum personnel and corporate buyers to preview work online.
Email<infom-@aol.com>, web: <http://www.mbhart.com>.
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Individual Enquiries
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* Community / Environmental Projects *
Jonathan Grimshaw is a student doing a dissertation looking into
disabled participation regarding community/environmental projects and is
concerned with what the main barriers are for disabled people in these
activities and the countryside, what they would like to see done about
it and how disabled people would like to participate in these
activities.
Work will be carried out in the form of an interview which will last for
20 minutes approximately. Jonathan is happy to travel to a meeting place
of your choice for those who are interested in taking part. You can
contact Jonathan on his mobile: 07966 262 496 or email
<jonathan-@hotmail.com>.
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Training & Workshops
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* Staging Change *
Mind the Gap, a theatre company working with learning disabled artists
has launched a brand new training course. Funded by the DfES, Staging
Change starts in September and offers five of the country’s most
talented learning disabled actors the opportunity to train with Mind the
Gap and some of the best drama schools in the country.
For further information please contact Angela Fitzgerald on 01274 544
683 or email <ang-@mind-the-gap.org.uk>.
* Deaf Escape *
Deaf Escape is hosting a series of life drawing / painting sessions for
Deaf artists at the Bromley By Bow Centre, East London every Tuesday
evening from 6th July onwards.
GBP 30 for six sessions if booked in advance. Male and female models.
Bring own materials. Open to all but best for those with prior
experience as no tuition will be provided.
Email: <deafart-@yahoo.co.uk> for flyer and booking information
* Tate Britiain: Using Movement with Artworks *
Wed 7th July 2004, 11.00-15.00
A course for pairs of support staff and clients with learning
difficulties to explore how movement activities can be used as a
non-verbal strategy for exploring artworks. No prior experience
necessary.
Fees: GBP 25 a pair
To book call 0207 887 3959
Tate Britain is committed to improving access for all visitors. Full
details of access arrangements are available in Tate Britain’s Access
Leaflet.
A copy is available from Tate Britain’s Information Office on 020 7887
8725.
* Project Ability Celebrates Children’s Art Day *
Glasgow, Thursday 1 July 2004
Project Ability will take part in the national celebrations of
Children’s Art Day on Thursday 1 July 2004 by hosting a gallery
education event to introduce the children of refugee and asylum seekers
living at Glasgow’s YMCA to the visual arts.
Rita Currens – an artist from the Trongate Studios (Project Ability’s
mental health programme) will lead the taster workshops by talking about
her latest exhibition, Romantic Rapture (currently on display in Project
Ability’s gallery), and she will show the young people how they too can
create beautiful works of art.
Special projects involving thousands of school children are being staged
in museums, galleries and schools all over the UK for Children’s Art
Day, with many more events and activities for families over the
following weekend 3 & 4 July. The day is part of the ARTWORKS programme,
devised and funded by the Clore Duffield Foundation, to encourage and
inspire children to encounter and engage with art in museums and
galleries.
For further information about the Project Ability event please contact:
Kirstin Bannerman, Project Ability, 18 Albion Street, Glasgow, G1 1LH.
Tel: 0141 552 2822, Mobile: 0787 670 5574 E-mail
<kirs-@project-ability.co.uk>, or visit: <www.project-ability.co.uk>.
For further information about Artworks visit the website at
<www.art-works.org.uk>.
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Got Some Spare Time?
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* BSL Interpreted Talks at Tate Liverpool *
Regular programme of BSL interpreted talks on exhibitions and displays.
No need to book, just meet in the Gallery foyer.
All talks are FREE except paying exhibitions, where you will receive a
concessionary rate.
Next month:
4 July, A Secret History of Clay: From Gauguin to Gormley
For further information, please contact Vicky Charnock on text phone
18001 0151 702 7453 or email <vicky.c-@tate.org.uk>.
Call welcome through Typetalk
Tate Liverpool, Albert Dock, Liverpool, L3 4BB
Visit www.tate.org.uk/liverpool
* Beach Life at the Tower of London *
National Archaeology Weekend, Sunday 25th July 2004
Wharf at the Tower of London with a free* sign language interpreted talk
by experienced archaeologist Graham Keevill, and experts from the the
Environment Agency and Thames 21.
Taking place on Sunday 25th July 2004 at 11.45.
Sign Language Interpreted by Julie Hornsby and Sharon Lee.
*Free entry to wharf and beach only.
The talk is part of a weekend of free events to celebrate the National
Archaeology Weekend. Watch Environment Agency river experts catch fish
from the Thames and explore the beach in front of the Tower, chat to
experts and discover the many animal bones, pipes and pottery that can
be found scattered across the surface. Suitable for adults and children.
The talk will start at 11.45 Saturday 25th July at Traitors Gate. Places
MUST be booked in advance, further information and map can also be
provided.
Contact Cathy Woolley, Outreach and Community Involvement, if you would
like to attend or for more information. Email:
<cathy.w-@hrp.org.uk>, Textphone: 020 7488 5661, Fax: 020 7480
5543.
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TV & Radio:
Pick of the Week
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26 June=20
TV
19.00 - The Rough Guide to Choreography - CH4
Nothing to do with Disability, but it might provide some of us novices
to this field with a little insight. Part 2 (s)
27 June=20
TV
19.00 - Clash of the Titans - TCM - Movie
Greek mythology hollywood style. With a cameo from the Graeae Sisters
who the company is named after.
28 June
TV
20.00 - Bionic Body Shop - CH5 - Movie
10 year old Victoria take delivery of her new artificial hand, which,
amazingly, takes instructions from her brain. (s)
21.00 - Ecstasy and Agony - Discovery
The use of Ecstasy in the treatment of Parkinson='s disease.
21.00 - The Truth about George Best - CH5
Charting the footballer's downhill spiral (s).
23.35 - Freak City - Sky Movies One - Movie
Heavy handed drama about a woman with MS.
Radio
11.00 - God on My Mind - R4
Recent research suggests that people with learning difficulties and
people with mental health problems are looking for a spiritual dimension
in their lives. Kati Whitaker investigates.
29 June
TV
23.20 - Singer - a Dangerous Mind - BBC2
Profile of the extreme philosopher and his deadly views on disability /
quality of life. Followed at 00.00 By an interview with Mark Lawson (s)
00.00 - A Private Matter - Living TV - Movie
Sissy Spacek features in this heavy handed drama about Thalidomide.
Radio
20.40 - In Touch - R4
News and Views with Peter White for visually impaired people.
21.00 - Life After 80 - R4
How Hospice staff prepare terminally ill people for death.
30 June
TV
21.00 - My Family and Autism - UKtv
How autism effects the lives of a large family.
1 July
TV
22.00 - Children of a Lesser God - Film Four - Movie
At a school for deaf children a teacher falls in love with a cranky ex
pupil. Landmark stuff.
2 July
TV
21.00 - Robert Wyatt: Free Will and Testament - BBC4
Portrait of the singer songwriter, who had a hit his single with
Shipbuilding. (s)
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© The National Disability Arts Forum 2004
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