Training & Development Officer for North West Disability Arts Forum
From 1998 to 2003 I was the Training & Development Officer for North West Disability Arts Forum (now renamed DaDa). This was an exciting period for disability arts where North West Disability Arts Forum (NWDAF) developed a partnership with the new Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA).
Leading the Way – the arts workshop leaders training course for disabled or deaf artists
- Following on from Damien O’ Connor’s work in 1998 I joined NWDAF to run in partnership with LIPA the first higher education accredited arts workshop leaders training course for disabled or deaf artists.
- Leading the Way was an innovative project where the access needs of disabled arts practioners were fully met. Previously disabled arts practitioners were implicitly and often explicitly excluded from mainstream arts training institutions because of poor access and lack of adjustments in training methods.
- As an example of exclusion from arts education institutions due to lack of access and understanding of adjustments in teaching style to include disabled people. How many Deaf actors do you think have trained at RADA?
(RADA took their first Deaf student in 2005)
FE level Performance skills and visual arts skills courses
Sun Face
- Devised, developed, managed and delivered Further Education courses some examples are FE level Performance skills and visual arts skills courses ran these in partnership with Liverpool Community College, Manchester College of Arts and Technology and Cumbria Institute of Arts.
- Ensured the effective and accessible learning experiences of all Disabled and Deaf people on these projects.
- Recruited tutors, trainers and arts workshop leaders and managed their delivery of training.
- Delivered workshops and Disability Action Training for the groups acted as co-module leader and ensured the pastoral care of all students.
NVQ 3 credits Arts Business Skills for Disabled or D/deaf people
- Our trainees from other courses had suggested that they needed arts business skills.
- In partnership with the Liverpool Centre for Arts Development we established a short course in arts business skills specifically for disabled and deaf people.
- We ensured all access needs were met by employing interpreters and notetakers and providing materials in large print, audio, electronic format and on different coloured paper.
- Our trainees came mostly from the North West but some travelled from Bradford and Newcastle.
- The initial course was funded by the Arts Council of England and the Employing Creativity project of NWDA. We received our second grant for two years from the Adult and Community Learning Fund.
Fundraising and project management
- Raised over £250,000 from a variety of funders for this work (ACE, DfES, Lloyds/TSB etc.) and wrote clear reports, prudently managed budgets and submitted accurate accounts
- Trained over 100 people in arts workshop skills, performing arts, visual arts and arts business skills from a range of backgrounds and with diverse impairments. Creating new opportunities for their lives and careers.
- Developed successful partnership projects with organisations such as the Liverpool Centre for Arts Development, Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), Liverpool Community College, Richard Attenborough Centre of the University of Leicester, Cumbria Institute of Arts and others.