Sunsurfer is an Arts and Education consultancy specialising in Disability arts, Deaf arts and Community arts. This is mostly my site (Mickey Fellowes) but I usually work in partnership and teams.
Our specialities are: -
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Audience Development
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Arts Project creation, development and delivery
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Disability and Deaf equality training
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Arts and Education project creation, development and delivery
All our work shows that Sunsurfer is passionate about inclusion. About confident happy people leading their confident and happy lives. Our particular focus is disabled and deaf people who are frequently oppressed and excluded. We work in the arts because we believe imagination, creativity, and a community of arts and culture leads to a fulfilling life for everyone.
Audiences
How do we build a community of disabled and deaf people in the arts? How do we create an audience for Disability and Deaf arts and how do we bring along a new generation of artists and creators?
This is what Audience Development does. Not passively trying to get more bums on seats but actively encouraging disabled and deaf people to participate in the arts. To think and talk about the arts and create their own art as well as experiencing the creations of others.
More about audience development…
Arts Projects
Sunsurfer believes in the principle of Community arts. That imagination and creativity is for everyone – not just for trained and professional artists, writers and performers.
Deaf and disabled people are frequently excluded and so many of us have experienced a poor quality or inaccessible education leaving us with low self esteem and low self belief. This is where community arts projects can make a difference using visual arts, creative writing or performance arts to facilitate the participant and the group’s creativity and celebrate the creativity of disabled and deaf people.
More about arts projects…
Training
We are committed to equality in society for disabled and deaf people. A key tool to promote a more equal society is training for everyone so we do not explicitly or implicitly discriminate. We work mostly with public sector organisations such as local and national government introducing two key issues: -
- The Social Model of Disability
- The Disability Discrimination Act 1995/2005
More about Disability and Deaf equality training
Arts and Education
So many disabled and deaf people have experienced exclusion at schools, Colleges and Universities. Many were convinced the arts were not for them. A short Arts and Education project cannot fix a poor education but what it can do is give people a brief introduction to the exciting range of possibilities in performing arts, creative writing and visual arts. This will directly lead to the development of disabled and deaf people as artists, arts workshop leaders and arts managers.
More about Arts and Education projects…
The SunSurfer website is continually evolving to improve access, content and design. Currently we are developing BSL video translations. If you have any comments or suggestions please contact us.