Higher profile for Deaf and disabled artists

A new website dedicated to creating more international opportunities for Deaf and disabled artists is aiming to draw the attention of arts professionals, venue programmers and arts curators to the work of disabled artists and disabled-led companies from around the world. Run by the British Council, Disability Arts International offers resources for promoters, case studies and personal testimonies, “sharing insights into how the UK came to be recognised as world leader in disabled-led arts.” Graham Sheffield CBE, the British Council’s Director, Arts, said: “Artists who have a unique experience of the world make unique art. Programmers and producers are increasingly recognising that artists with a singular perspective not only challenge traditional narratives, they also challenge the received aesthetics of the art forms themselves.”

The website has been created as part of Unlimited Access – a project co-ordinated by the British Council and co-funded by the EU Culture programme. It currently features companies including Graeae Theatre, CandoCo, The British Paraorchestra, and Bobby Baker’s Daily Life Ltd. Films hosted on the site include commentary from Co-Director of the Paralympic Opening Ceremony Jenny Sealey MBE, Artistic Director & Chief Executive of Dance Umbrella Emma Gladstone, and Artistic Director of the Young Vic David Lan.