Arts and Disability Ireland is bringing some of the most innovative and thought provoking artists, thinkers and advocates in arts and disability to Galway for the Creative Connections conference.
On day one, British Council is pleased to be supporting UK writer, artist, part-time superhero and co-founder of Touretteshero, Jess Thom, who will talk about Art as Access with Kris Nelson, Director of Tiger Dublin Fringe Festival.
A panel of artists will discuss with Willie White, Director of Dublin Theatre Festival the Pathways to Practice for professional artists with disabilities. Emma Bennison explores issues of leadership in arts and disability posing the question is she an artist, advocate or both?
Betty Siegel from John F Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, Washington D.C, Hannah Goodwin from Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Bairbre-Ann Harkin from Butler Gallery and blogger, Louise Bruton of leglessindublin.com are just some of the speakers who will focus on venue access and audience development.
Day two starts by Dreaming Big! a discussion about Ignite, the recent arts and disability commissions. Then speakers from Croí Glan, Blue Teapot Theatre Company, Vo’Arte and KCAT will explore if there is indeed Strength in Numbers.
Ben Evans, British Council's Head of Arts and Disabillity in Europe, will close the conference speaking about British Council’s Arts work in the EU region focussing on an extraordinary generation of excellent Deaf and disabled artists making work in the UK and across Europe. In order to help excellent disabled artists profile their work, and to help promoters and venues learn more about ways to enable access to the arts for disabled artists and audiences, the British Council has launched a new website: www.disabilityartsinternational.org and is actively seeking artists and companies to profile on the website, as well as compelling case studies of organisations which have made profound transformations in developing access to disabled people.
