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EtCetera Issue 247
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The National Disability Arts Forum
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Jul 23, 2004 08:28 PDT
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Contents: == From NDAF == Have Your Say == 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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* Your Chance to Win:
‘Hidden Dragons: Writing by Disabled People in Wales’ *
This anthology is the culmination of the 'Write Stuff', a European Year
of Disabled People funded project set up and run by Arts Disability
Wales. Ten writing workshops for disabled people ran across Wales from
September until December 2003 and a total of 86 people took part. This
publication brings together work produced by the writers that took part
in those workshops. The work included in the book was chosen by the
editors – Allan Sutherland and Elin ap Hywel.
We have two copies for you to win. All you need to do is send an email
to <compet-@ndaf.org>. Please include your name and postal address
in the message, and make a note if you prefer the publication in
alternative format = large print, Braille, on audio tape, or on CD-Rom
The winners will be the first two entries arriving in the mailbox.
(Offer open to all UK residents, excluding employees of The National
Disability Arts Forum. One entry per person. Prize is non-transferable.
No cash alternative)
(Hidden Dragons is available through bookshops for GBP 7.99, ISBN
1-902638-39-5)
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Have Your Say
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* Plea for a National Disability Arts Archive *
By Allan Sutherland
This paper was delivered as part of 'Thinking Aloud', a day of
discussion about setting up a Disability Arts Archive at Holton Lee in
Dorset, which took place at Holton Lee on July 16th.
What sort of archive?
In his introductory paper to this archive project, Tony Heaton has
described how minorities with an oral tradition are in danger of losing
their art and culture. But the truth is that, with certain key
exceptions such as the Deaf community, we don’t even have an oral
tradition. We don’t have any great set of myths and stories and advice
on how to live in the world that gets handed down from disabled adult to
disabled child, generation after generation.
So what we in disability arts have created in the last twenty years has
enormous importance. For the first time, there are things in the world
that communicate how it is that other disabled people have felt, what it
was that angered them, made them laugh, made them cry. There are
pictures and poems and songs that give the message: you are not alone.
Others have travelled this road before you - and had a pretty good time
doing it.
But those things will only be here if we value them and look after them.
If we don’t save what matters now, a lot of it will vanish, or become so
difficult to find that it might as well be gone. We have to do this, and
we have to do it now. Because if we don’t value what we have created,
why on earth should we expect anyone else to.
So what we are undertaking in creating this archive is work of enormous
importance. But it isn’t straightforward. To explain what a tricky task
we face, I’d like to point out some of the ways this archive could fail
to achieve all we hope for it.
It could get full up. We have already been advised that we must create a
rigorous acquisitions policy, so that, in order to avoid being swamped,
we basically exclude as much as possible.
We could fail to come up with the right answer to the question: should
it be the archive or an archive. On one hand the danger is that we will
have a single small but prestigious institution mopping up all available
funding so that other worthwhile projects can’t get off the ground and
the work they would have saved gets lost. Conversely, if we aim to be
just an archive, one among a potential many, not aiming to do the whole
job, we may fail to take responsibility for important work, so that it
gets lost.
We may make the wrong decisions about what is important, so that we hand
down to future generations, not the most important work or the best
work, but whatever happens to have met the taste of the dominant voice
on whatever committee does the selecting.
The archive could be in the wrong place, so that someone from a school
or college in Newcastle, wanting to study the past achievements of a
local group such as the Lawnmowers or NORDAF, would have to travel down
to Dorset to do so.
It could get the balance between exhibition and preservation wrong. Do
we want to keep materials safe, or do we want to make them available to
people?
It could fail - this is a big danger - to anticipate events such as the
collapse of a Disability Arts organisation or the unexpected death of an
artist, producing a chaotic situation where artifacts or information
that have seemed low priority, being important but safe, suddenly are
not safe and are chucked on to a skip.
It could be unable to preserve certain kinds of work because they’re in
the wrong medium. It is unlikely that this archive will be equipped to
store film really well, for example. Nor, given its size, will it be
well suited to keeping many large works such as Eddy Hardy’s paintings.
I think, however, that there is a solution to all these problems, and
the model for it is to be found in Australia.
The Australian Distributed National Collection was created as a way of
caring for the country’s diverse cultural heritage - a large quantity of
movable materials, housed in many different institutions of all sizes,
from national collections to small town museums or private ownership.
Much of this material had strong local significance which would be
devalued if it were taken away to a centralised national archive.
What they realised was that this material could be treated as being
effectively a single collection housed in a lot of different places.
Most of it could be housed locally but catalogued nationally and cared
for as part of the National Conservation Strategy.
Thus a small town museum may contain three or four items that are part
of the Distributed National Collection. They are recognised as having
national importance, but they stay where they have local significance.
My suggestion is that we follow this model, and create a dispersed
collection. Instead of trying to do it all at Holton Lee, we should
encourage disability arts organisations to build their own archives,
elements of which would form a part of our national archive.
We should also negotiate with institutions such as the British Film
Institute and the British Library, using identification of items as part
of the National Disability Arts Archive to influence the decision making
of those much wealthier bodies.
This would create a collection of significant artworks, artifacts,
documents and information held in part at the Holton Lee archive, but in
many cases by disability arts organisations and public collections, or
in some cases even in private ownership (particularly where artists
wished to retain specific important works). All of these should be held
in the most appropriate place in terms of conservation and exhibition,
with due regard to relevance to particular communities, site-specific
links, and the needs of individual organisations for whom they may still
form part of their regular working practice.
Though the items in this collection would be widely dispersed, and might
have widely different ownership, the collection as a whole would be
subject to the disciplines of planning, development and management.
The Holton Lee building would provide the strategic centre of this
collection, holding a limited number of key items, but tracking a much
larger number. Its work, in combination with the Edward Lear Foundation,
would include: developing criteria for judging the significance of
particular work; identifying and recording the corpus of significant
work; creating an information base so that scholars and students would
have one central point of reference; advising Disability Arts
organisations on policies for recording and archiving their own work;
and providing advice and training on conservation issues.
In an emergency situation, key items, having been identified as part of
the National Disability Arts Archive, would already be earmarked. The
Holton Lee archive could be expected to play an interim role,
safeguarding significant items until the most appropriate home for them
was found. This would avoid problems such as that faced by the papers of
the late Dorothy Miles, which, stuffed into cardboard boxes, passed from
hand to hand in the Deaf community until they eventually ended up in the
Deaf History Archive, where they could be properly safeguarded.
The Holton Lee operation would thus become an important national
resource, underpinning the wider efforts of the Disability Arts
community to preserve and record its own history and achievements.
This isn't just about taking care of some pictures and papers. The task
that faces us is one of reaching out to other disabled people, handing
something on to those who will follow us. A few years ago, in a paper I
wrote for NDAF, suggesting that we set up a national collection of
disability art works, I said that we had to leave some footprints in the
sand, so that others will know that they are not alone.
(For more information on Edward Lear Foundation go to:
<www.learfoundation.org.uk>)
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Get Involved
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* Australian Exchanges *
Port Macquarie is New South Wales’ (Australia's premiere state) current
City of the Arts.
They are interested in the possibility of UK exchanges, inviting work
over and vice versa. If you're planning any productions/exhibitions etc
for 2005-8 and it has an Australian flavour e.g. public arts, temporary
touring installations, environmental arts, digital new media arts,
convict heritage, older people in the arts, sacred arts, reconciliation,
arts and addiction/drugs/alcohol, dreamtime, please contact
Wendy Hee, +61 (0)2 9599 8123, Email
<compassiona-@yahoo.co.uk>
* Art&Inclusion Conference *
28 September, The Friary Church, Callan, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland
KCAT (Kilkenny Collective for Arts Talent) runs a VEC art course (FETAC
Level 2) for people from different backgrounds and an Arts Council
funded studio for artists with special needs. To celebrate the fifth
anniversary of its Art & Study Centre, KCAT organises art&inclusion, a
one day conference looking at past, present and future of special needs
art projects in Ireland and the rest of Europe. The conference will be
of interest to anybody working in education, the arts world and health
services.
The day will consist of presentations looking at the history of KCAT,
inclusive education, art as a vocation, artist and mentor relationship,
inclusive exhibitions, question and answer sessions, a panel discussion
and the launch of a KCAT book.
Chairperson for the day will be Brian Maguire from NCAD and speakers
include Katherine Marshall from IMMA and representatives from national
and international projects. As one of the outcomes of the day, they are
hoping to set up a national network of organisations and individuals
interested in the future development of inclusive art in Ireland.
For more information and booking, please contact: Kilkenny Collective
for Arts Talent, KCAT Art & Study Centre, The Friary Mill Street, Callan
Co. Kilkenny, Ireland, tel/fax: 056-7755115, www.kcat.ie, in-@kcat.ie.
* Can’t Sing Singers *
Singing can be a truly liberating experience, but not everyone feels
they have the gift. Whilst half the British population believe they
can’t sing, often people who think they’re tone deaf can be taught to
sing.
A new primetime series aims to transform can’t sing singers from London,
Birmingham, Cardiff and Liverpool into can sing singers.
Auditions (and they use the term loosely!) will be held in London at the
beginning of August and the series will culminate with a live TV
performance in December.
So if you have the commitment and passion to take part call them on 0870
010 0451 or email <cantsing-@bbc.co.uk>
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Individual Enquiries
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* David Hole’s Lathe and Bandsaw *
Artist, Sculptor, Poet, Nurse and Teacher David Hole died earlier this
year, aged 43. His work explored the relationship between love and pain.
In his own words "I see life and death at both its best and worst...
'love' for me captures it all....love in all its forms carries us
through life, not always easily but the sunrises and sunsets are that
much the brighter for it." This was reflected by one of his favourite
works, La Pieta (Michelangelo).
David was a friend and ally of disabled people and an advocate of our
creativity. He taught art and sculpture to various groups including
people with mental illness, physical disabilities, learning
disabilities, and prisoners.
To celebrate this advocacy and in keeping with his wishes, Davids'
partner, Anna has asked the Forum to help to donate his Lathe and
Bandsaw to a disabled artist or group of artists.
If you or your group could use either or both of these high quality
tools then please email us (nd-@ndaf.org>), stating who you are, the
kind of work you or your group do or have done and what you would aim to
do with the equipment should you be offered it.
This equipment is very heavy and will need to be be picked up from the
Shropshire area. (For health and safety reasons, you must also be able
to demonstrate that you have been trained or will be trained to use
these tools)
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Training & Workshops
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* stride *
With an award of additional funding, Full Potential Arts is able to
expand it's work and deliver an exciting new regional initiative.
stride is a pilot project funded by Arts Council England set up to
provide a work placement programme for emerging disabled arts workers,
artists, practitioners, administrators and project managers living in
the West Midlands.
Aiming to support disabled students and graduates who are currently
undertaking or just completed Further Education or Higher Education
courses, a key focus for the project is to provide emerging arts workers
with opportunities to gain real project experience in a dynamic arts
environment.
Placements must be undertaken at venues within the West Midlands and
structured around a programme of learning and mentoring opportunities
within an artform or arts administration environment.
The deadline for making an application is Friday 30th July 2004.
To receive a stride information pack call Juliet Thomas on 0121 446 5500
or email <juliet_-@btconnect.com>.
To express an interest in the project or make enquiries about the
placement opportunities contact Tanya Raabe, Project Manager on 0781
4467593 during office hours or send an email to
<Tan-@raabe.wanadoo.co.uk>.
Information is available in large print, on disk or Braille tape.
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Got Some Spare Time?
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* Cairde Summer Festival *
This July and August Blue Raincoat Theatre Company are running its
second annual Cairde Summer Festival. Cairde is a community-based
festival of performance arts that is centred around Blue Raincoat’s
Factory Performance Space. The main theme of the festival is inclusivity
and festival events draw on Blue Raincoat’s ongoing work with the County
Sligo Youth Theatre, Down Syndrome Ireland, and Diversity Sligo. Like
last year, events focus on themes of arts and disability and
multi-cultural and the programme provides a fun, performance based
experience for all audience groups.
Highlights this year:
- On the 28th of July at 8pm Cairde will launch an exhibition of artwork
by the Spirasi Group celebrating multiculturalism. This exhibition is
free and open to the public
- As a part of Cairde Heart ‘n’ Soul will be working with local disabled
artists to devise and present a show featuring drama, dance, and music.
This performance will be shown on July 31st at 1:30 in the afternoon.
- From August 2nd – 7th Blue Raincoat present ‘Her Big Chance’, a play
by Alan Bennett.
- Following the first lunchtime show is William Butler Yeats’ play ‘The
Cat and the Moon’.
- A seminar about racism in Ireland, featuring Sharon Murphy, the
facilitator, activist, and musician from the One World Centre in Galway.
This will run on August 5th.
- Another seminar with Peter Kearns from the Forum of People with
Disabilities.This will run on August 11th.
More information and booking tickets for the Cairde Summer Festival and
festival events is available through Blue Raincoat Theatre Company at
+353-(71)-9170431, Fax +353-(71)-9171100, Email <in-@blueraincoat.com>
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TV & Radio:
Pick of the Week
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24 July
TV
19.40 - A Touch of Frost - ITV2
Billy Conrad has Learning Difficulties and a secret, does this make him
capable of murder. On release this was thought to be a milestone in the
employment of people with learning difficulties as actors. (s)
20.00 - Daredevil - Sky Movies 2 - Film
Superhero stuff with Ben Aflick as the crime fighting hero in a camp
leather (?) suit.
Tasty visuals not a lot of plot (this is also available on DVD with
audio description).
20.20 - Ray Charles: What’d I say - BBC2
Biography of the jazz legend who started life as an orphan and ended it
being recognised as the father of soul music. (s)
25 July
TV
12.40 - The History of British Sculpture - CH5
What is it ? Is the starting point for this six part series with Lloyd
Grossman. (s)
26 July
TV
12.30 - Car Booty - BBC1
The selling stuff to raise cash format, here tires to raise money to
build a Koi Carpe pool for Ben who happens to have CP. (s) (ad)
22.00 - Wide Eyed and Legless - BBC4 - Movie
Highly rated drama about a disabled woman tries to pair her husband with
a visually impaired novelist. Screenplay by Jack Rosenthall, based on a
book by Deric Longden. (s)
27 July
TV
08.35 - So Little Time - BBC2
Part of a children's series we think. This episode features a wheelchair
using student falling for a character called Riley. (s)
Radio
22.40 - In Touch - R4
News and Views for blind and partially sighted people.
21.00 All In The Mind - R4
The series about mental health issues continues. This installment looks
at the way the NHS treats mental health workers when they suffer from
mental illness.
28 July
TV
22.00 - Room 101 - BBC2
Comedian Alexi Sayle rants about his pet hates, including people faking
the use of the Blue Parking Badge.
30 July
Radio
21.30 - The John Tusa Interview - R3
David Hockney in conversation about his life and work.
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© The National Disability Arts Forum 2004
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