Press Release

Explore: deaf and disabled people engaging with galleries

This new project represents an exciting opportunity for Shape and Engage to combine their expertise to support galleries to adopt best practice for disabled and deaf visitors.

Shape’s Chief Executive, Steve Mannix, said, “We are thrilled to be working so closely with Engage, an organisation that is held in high esteem across the visual arts; working in this way gives Shape a new understanding of the types of organisations that can really benefit from our support.”

 
The project was made possible by a grant through The Ann Rylands Special Project from The Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust who will fund the work over the next 12 months. There are three main strands to the project:
 
1.   Running creative visual arts workshops for up to 150 disabled people at eight galleries in London and across England, Scotland and Wales. Galleries and visual arts venues will be invited to bid to be part of the programme.  The workshops will cover a variety of arts disciplines, from the traditional to the non-traditional e.g. drawing, painting, sculpture, creative writing, digital technology or film and will reach people with a diverse range of disabilities.  The chance to take part in creative projects will give the disabled participants an opportunity to become passionate about visual art; as well as help the galleries investigate new ways of engaging with disabled people in their local communities.
 
2.   Working with gallery staff, supporting them to make changes to increase the accessibility of their galleries. This will be achieved by providing a programme of training and support to gallery staff teaching them how to cater to the needs of their disabled visitors, and increase accessibility of their venues and exhibits.  This support will benefit not only the disabled participants in this project, but in the longer term will improve the experience of all future disabled visitors to their venue.
 
3.   Producing a ‘Resource Pack’ built on the learning from the project, which will share good practice on working effectively with disabled visitors.  This will be available to galleries across the UK, providing concrete examples of how to carry out projects with disabled people, useful tips and contact details.  Through the pack, it is ultimately hoped that, what has been learnt from the project will impact on the thousands of disabled visitors to visual arts galleries.
 
If you are a gallery and interested in applying to participate in the project, please contact Alex Hitchins at engage, [log in to unmask] 020 7490 4690



Notes for Editors:

About Shape

Shape celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and is currently the largest arts development organisation working with disabled, deaf and elderly people in the UK.
 
Shape has played an active role in the disability rights movement over the past two decades by pioneering the active involvement in the arts and cultural industries by disabled and deaf people – as audience members, participants and artists. Shape works to combat discrimination and negative images around disability by highlighting the creative capacity of these communities across the whole spectrum of the arts. Activities take place in theatres, galleries, museums, schools, community centres and other settings throughout the year.

Shape
LVS Resource Centre
356 Holloway Road London N7 6PA
Tel: 020 7619 6171
Fax: 020 7619 6162
Email: [log in to unmask]
www.shapearts.org.uk
 
About Engage
 
Engage, formally the National Association for Gallery Education, was founded in 1988 to encourage good practice in the developing field of gallery education. Engage is the lead body in the UK and internationally promoting and supporting gallery education. Engage has 1,300 members. Engage is a revenue-funded client of Arts Council England and receives funding for its work in Wales and Scotland from the Arts Council of Wales and the Scottish Arts Council. Engage also receives income from membership subscriptions, trusts, foundations and public sources. Engage delivers work in four key areas:

·     Professional Development, e.g. an international conference

·     Research and projects, e.g. envision, enquire and Watch this Space

·     Dissemination of good practice (through engage journal and engage website)

·     Advocacy, making the case and working in partnership with key stakeholders and partners in the cultural and education sector to advance and develop gallery and visual arts education.

Engage
Suite AG
City Cloisters
196 Old Street
London
EC1V 9FR
Tel: 020 7490 4690
Email: [log in to unmask]
www.engage.org  
 
 

ENDS





engage

Alex Hitchins     

Publications & Website Officer
      
[log in to unmask]

Central office  Suite AG, City Cloisters, 196 Old Street, London EC1V 9FR
T   +44 (0)20 7490 4690  F   +44 (0)20 7253 3918 E    [log in to unmask] W  www.engage.org
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