How I Cope  is an on-going blog series where colleagues from across the sector – and at different stages of their career – share their experiences of self-care and wellbeing.        Mental health and balancing work and life is increasingly recognised as essential to our happiness and ability to make the most of our talents. ... Read more

Learn how Frozen Light developed a show and worked with venues on its tour to engage audiences with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD).

Hannahs at Seale-Hayne, a charity in South Devon, was opened in 2010 as an innovative solution to the lack of appropriate facilities for people with disabilities once they reach adulthood. Working with guests, visitors and staff, a ground-breaking piece of new theatre was created telling the stories of the people at Hannahs at Seale-Hayne. Through creative workshops and one-to-one interviews, a final draft of the play with ... Read more

This case study demonstrates how a Queensland school uses interactive artwork to communicate information and enable learning for visually impaired children.  The case study outlines the key outcomes and findings of the project as well as future plans for continuation of this worthy initiative.

This article by The Reading Agency describes how the Chatterbooks programme uses multi-sensory stories to engage with children with disabilities. Libraries involved in this programme have developed valuable links with local special educational needs schools whilst enabling disabled children and young people to have greater access to services and activities in their local and wider community.

In partnership with Vision Australia and Sculpture by the Sea, The Art Gallery of Western Australia held tactile tours at the 2009 Sculpture by the Sea exhibition at Cottesloe Beach for people with visual impairments. This case study outlines the key planning stages, implementation and key learnings of the award winning touch tour and is ... Read more

This Australian case study gives an overview of an ongoing partnership between the Victoria Park Centre for the Arts and Nulsen (acknowledged as a leader in Australia in the field of caring for people with profound and severe disabilities). The partnership was designed to enable Nulsen residents to thrive in the artist community and find ... Read more

This Australian case study outlines a two stage approach taken to ensuring young people with disabilities, their families and carers are able to access and participate in arts and cultural services in Western Australia. The project was led by Propel Youth Arts WA in partnership with the Swan Friendship Club of Western Australia and Junkadelic. ... Read more

Graeae is the UK’s foremost disabled-led theatre company. Its audiences include Deaf, disabled and non-disabled people. This guide provides some basic guidelines for use of language and being confident with using language around disability. Appropriate use of language helps demonstrate that an organisation is committed to providing a welcoming environment and is the first step to ensuring ... Read more

This non-arts case study demonstrates how to make effective use of an annual report. We learn how a charitable organisation, The Scotland Yard Adventure Centre (known as ‘The Yard’), with the help of Tayburn (brand and reputation agency), overhauled their annual report with incredible results. The Yard is a purpose built indoor and outdoor adventure ... Read more

A summary of the findings from ‘Culture on Demand’ research, which explored how demand is formed for the arts, the practical barriers for disabled people and what influences engagement among black and minority ethnic audiences and lower socio-economic groups. It includes two case studies: Balti Buses and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art.

A report looking at how cultural organisations can better understand disabled people as audiences, the barriers they may face and how they access the sector. This research-based report includes data on audience behaviour, as well as an analysis of the barriers that must be overcome, such as access, and how those involved in audience development ... Read more

Recording experiences through photographs and video and sharing them on both your organisation’s website and throughout social media channels can dramatically help build new and wider audiences. Since making photos and videos available online, Candoco – a dance company of disabled and non-disabled dancers – has been able to keep its digital platforms fresh and up ... Read more

As cultural marketers it’s important to understand how representative our audience is. These guidelines offer meaningful and ethical ways to monitor the diversity of an audience – going beyond simply a ‘tick box’ exercise. You’ll find advice on planning, collecting information, representative sampling, and questionnaire design. It covers how to monitor ethnicity and disability, young ... Read more

An in-depth study of voluntary and amateur arts groups and informal adult learning in the arts in England. Commissioned by DCMS and Arts Council England to improve the knowledge base on the voluntary and amateur arts sector in England, it is the first of its kind on a national scale and represents the first step ... Read more

This short document summarises the main best practice principles arts marketers and audience development officers should use when preparing their marketing materials for a diverse audience. It particularly relates to physical and learning disabilities or difficulties.

Tim Wheeler shares Mind the Gap theatre company’s aim to make it possible for learning-disabled and non-disabled artists to work together as equals – not as therapist and client or facilitator and participant, but as artists working together. He looks at the processes in place to achieve this aim, how he works as a leader and what he has learned about leadership.

State of Access Report is a systematic research into access and inclusion within the music industry. It examines views and approaches to access across the industry and sets out recommendations to ensure that all venues follow best practice. In particular, it includes suggestions for an ‘Event Standard’ to which all venues should subscribe. The study ... Read more

This State of Access Report is a systematic research into access and inclusion within the music industry. It examines views and approaches to access across the industry and sets out recommendations to ensure that all venues follow best practice. In particular, it includes suggestions for an ‘Event Standard’ to which all venues should subscribe. The ... Read more

This State of Access Report is a systematic research into access and inclusion within the music industry. It examines views and approaches to access across the industry and sets out recommendations to ensure that all venues follow best practice. In particular, it includes suggestions for an ‘Event Standard’ to which all venues should subscribe. The ... Read more