EMBRACE CREATE CONNECT - A NATIONAL EVENT ABOUT ARTS AND LEARNING DISABILITY - Embrace Arts

Here is a press release about a fantastic National Conference on Learning Disabled Arts happening in March 2012, from Embrace Arts, home of our Learning Disabled Theatre Company, Movers. Enjoy!

More than 100 performers, venues and practitioners will come together at Embrace Arts in March to create new opportunities within art and learning disability.

Venues and pioneering companies including StopGAP Dance Company, Club Soda, First Movement, Oska Bright, Zinc, Heavy Load and Movers Theatre Company will be performing, leading workshops and developing creative conversations to explore differing ways of working and raise the profile of work by learning disabled artists and companies.

Co-director of Embrace Arts, Louisa Milburn, explained

“Artists with learning disabilities from across the UK are creating, performing and leading inspirational work in the arts. However, opportunities for artists with learning disabilities should be developed much further.  We have created this opportunity to debate current issues, explore differing ways of working, perform and to raise the profile of work by learning disabled artists and companies”.

Peter Knott, Regional Director Arts Council England (East Midlands) which is supporting the conference, added

 “The Arts Council England recognises the role that a dynamic event can have in creating lasting change.  Embrace Create Connect is a national platform that will celebrate the innovative work already taking place and catalyse aspirations for learning disabled artists to receive the recognition they deserve.”

Embrace Create Connect will take place from Thursday 15 - Friday 16 March 2012 at Embrace Arts, Leicester.

To book your place at Embrace Create Connect visit

www.embracecreateconnect.co.uk

 

Autism and Theatre Day - Saba Salman

This is not a blog post of ours - but a very interesting piece by social affairs journalist Saba Salman that is well worth a read, and it even mentions Speakeasy! Click here to read about developments in making theatre more accessible for those with a learning disability:
http://thesocialissue.com/2011/10/autism-and-theatre-good-work-waiting-in-the-wings/

'Visitor' - A smile on the outside and a warm feeling inside! - Andy Reeves

The Spark Children's Arts Festival asked Speakeasy's Artistic Director, Andy Reeves to comment on their forthcoming interactive installation based performance 'Visitor'. 

Speakeasy will be working with Movers, their Learning Disabled Theatre Company, to create a mesmerising interacvtive experience.

Here's what Andy had to say,

"We're tremendously excited about 'Visitor'. We're trying to make a piece of theatre which, though it's imagined, devised and performed by Learning Disabled artists, will be a great audience experience for everyone.

Movers have gained a lot of fans over the last five years, fans of them not just as Disabled artists but as performers full stop. 'Visitor' gives the audience the chance to get closer to the action, interact with characters and technology in a dream-like, woodland setting. Our goal is for everyone - disabled, non-disabled, young, old - to come out with a smile on the outside and a warm feeling inside!

People entering the magical forest world of 'Visitor' will find so much to interact with - characters, technology, 'softer' things like material and colours - but they will be able to join in with as much or as little as they like. It won't be traditional audience participation, where people can end up feeling forced to join in.

What we're trying to do is to create a piece of theatre which really is for everyone. It might be made by disabled people, it might be perfect for a disabled audience - but it can be perfect for everyone else too."

'Visitor' will be premiering on 1st and 2nd June 2011 at 10am, 1pm and 3pm each day, at Embrace Arts, Lancaster Rd, Leicester as part of the Spark Children's Arts Festival. 

Tickets are priced at £5, or £16 for 2 adults and 2 children, and can be booked by calling Embrace Arts on 0116 252 2455.

Movers are Leicester's Learning Disabled Theatre Company, facilitated by Speakeasy, and based at Embrace Arts.