Today’s conversation at the ArtWorks Alliance member’s online drop-in focussed on Participative Arts and Inclusion for People with Disabilities. Taking part in the conversation were Rebecca Manson-Jones, Amanda Castro, Rob Watson, Bill Taylor-Beales, Emma Long, Sarah-Jane Mason and Rob Watson. We discussed the need to recognise support, facilitate, empower and inspire people with disabilities and people with different social abilities as artists and as participants in art. We asked how the experience of people with disabilities can be better represented and understood in participative arts practice, and what concerns need to be recognised and dealt with to value the contribution of everyone in society, regardless of the challenges that they may face.
The prompt for our conversation was a recent article for ArtWorks Alliance by Sarah-Jane Mason, who shared her concerns that the language of accessibility and inclusion, does not always suit the needs of people with disabilities who want to access and fully participate in the arts: https://artworksalliance.uk/sarah-jane-mason-participative-arts-and-inclusion-for-people-with-disabilities/
To join the network that is forming as a result of these conversations, please email disabledartistsatwork@gmail.com
We used the Social Model for Disability Language: https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/social-model-disability-language
Download the Transcript Here
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