Exploring solutions to access barriers

“We wanted a way to help everyone dig into their own creativity to come up with access solutions, rather than seeing the removal of barriers as something only ‘experts’ can solve – and we wanted to make it playful as well as educational.”
– Jo Verrent, Senior Producer, Unlimited

Across the programme we adopted an attitude of enquiry to actively explore solutions to access barriers. In this way, access and inclusion permeated the programme, and were key motivations for many of the Creative Producers.

Using her development grant, Creative Producer, Alice Holland (Brighton), collaborated with Unlimited, an arts commissioning programme that enables new work by disabled artists to reach UK and international audiences, and leadership coach Sarah Pickthall, to experiment with developing ways for neurodiverse practitioners to lead change-making careers that allow them to navigate the challenges of their health in a safe and sustainable way.

We also worked with Unlimited to test a prototype of Cards for Inclusion, a game designed to help the arts sector explore solutions to access barriers.

Through this exercise the cohort learned how to better collaborate with and support disabled practitioners and audiences, and how to ensure access considerations are built into the fabric of their creative practice.

Their international perspectives were integral to shaping and developing the final Cards for Inclusion product. Cards for Inclusion is now a valued resource freely available. You can learn more about the game here. Our Creative Producers all have a copy and have used them in workshops around the world.