With no shows to see today, I was able to catch up on some planning in the morning and then head into town for a 'Craft and Chat' session, a chance for fellow artists and delegates to take part in a 'creative crafter-noon'.
Recognising a few familiar faces now, we were all invited to choose a piece of coloured paper and imagine that aliens were landing and you had to introduce yourself to them, using drawing and/or collage. A second task gave us an opportunity to think creatively about our daily and yearly goals and put these to paper. We all got the chance to share and talk through the 'artworks' we created and it was fun to see other people's creations, giving us a glimpse into their personalities. I found myself absorbed in the tasks and there was a feeling of deep concentration in the room as everyone focused on what they were doing. Ironcally the chat was minimal, but it was lovely to connect with people through a creative activity. Many similar themes emerged from us such as, spending time in nature, making time to breathe and being more creative.
There was time for a quick coffee and cake and then into a panel discussion, 'Space for All: Making time for inclusive arts practice'. A panel of experts included some of the cast and creatives from 'Grace' (seen on day 2) who gave a fascinating insight into their process of creating the show, authentically embedding access right from the show's inception.
The key message I took away from this enlightening discussion was, 'do something, it's better than doing nothing'.
Some practical advice which has given me much food for thought... what can I do to make my work more accessible?
Embed access and inclusion from the outset at the creation stage, eg. Audio Description, Signing
Time, budget and communication are important
Have an access rider for everyone and a welfare liason person for any disabled cast/crew
More rehearsal and tech time but shorter days with quiet/take a break spaces available
Captioning is a good and cheap access point
Make your work accessible for audiences by engaging directly with your target audience and giving them as much information as possible
Be open to listening to people with the lived experience, its not good enough to say, I don't know about this
Offer relaxed performances, where permission is given to move, leave and make noise if you want to
Programme notes can include visual guides
Arrange meet the team opportunities
Think about what you need to do in order to do your best work
It's wondeful to see that Access and Inclusion is high on the agenda here but important to keep the conversations going and not just betweeen the people who advocate for this work. Organisation, Safe to Create who were also on the panal discussion, recently published a report, AMPLIFY: A call for transformative action, pathways to dignity, respect and equity in Irelands Arts and Creative Sector. You can download the report from their website.
Another enjoyable day ended with rich discussion followed by a visit to Galway's Yoga Room, An Seomra Yoga for a yoga class. My attempt to practice what I preach and make more time for me, manage my stress levels and breathe, means I now try to seek out a yoga class whenever I am travelling, it's wonderful to practice yoga with other yogis in many different countries and places, bringing with it a sense of belonging and connection.
Namaste....
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