Projects
Powys Arts Strategy
PCC have commissioned Richie Turner Associates to undertake a review of current arts service provision in Powys, and work with PCC staff, Powys venues, the wider arts sector, and their communities to co-develop a new arts strategy and delivery plan. PCC most importantly want this new arts strategy to be led by, and co-produced, with the arts sector in Powys, and which supports and promotes their development plans, demonstrating how these align with and deliver against Powys County Council’s corporate plan which are to create a ‘Stronger, Fairer, Greener” county.
UK Arts Access Card
We were commissioned by the four UK arts councils and the British Film Institute to test the feasibility of establishing a UK wide arts access card.
The scheme will allow every disabled person in the UK to register with their access need. The Access Card (free to all disabled people) will then mean they can book tickets to an event at all UK arts centres and theatres and each individual box office system will recognise them and their specific access needs.
The project involved consulting disabled people throughout the UK and working with commercial and publicly funded theatres and arts centres to devise the scheme.
In July 2021 the UK Governement’s overall Disability Strategy (page 80) finally greenlighted this project saying, “We will widen participation in arts and culture. Disability is one of the main barriers people give for not attending art and cultural events.There is wide support among disabled people for a national arts access scheme. Arts Councils across the UK are working together with the British Film Institute to launch a free, UK wide arts access card by March 2022. This access card will be usable across all arts and cultural venues, for seamless, barrier-free booking that is responsive to individual circumstances and needs.“
The new Arts Access Card Scheme is now due to be piloted in 2024, with the development being led by Arts Council of England (see the project website link below for updates – unfortunately the original feasibility study is still commercially confidential so we can’t share it).
The scheme will build on a existing ‘companion free ticket scheme’ called Hynt – already running in Wales.
Resonate Festival: Coventry City of Culture
Reasonate Festival was the title of the University of Warwick’s Institute of Engagement’s year long response to Coventry’s City of Culture in 2022.
Working in partnership with Handheld Events (who programmed many of the Festival’s events) we supported the programming and created various filmed highlights of Reasonate’s final celebrations.
Widening Engagement Phase 1
In September 2020 Arts Council of Wales and Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales commissioned us to research why ‘disabled people attend the arts and visit museums less than non-disabled people’?
The COVID Pandemic severaly impacted our original methodology and timescales, but by mid-2021 we completed our first report and detailed findings.
You can read our report (in various accessible formats) on their websites.
Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales (English, Welsh and BSL)
Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru – Arts Council Wales (English, WElsh and Large Print and Easy Read)
Illustration: Cooked Illustrations
Widening Engagement Phase 2
Arts Council Wales and Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales have now asked us to devise a set of minimum standards for the services disabled people should receive from arts venues and museums. In addition, we are devising a kitemark scheme, that shows the level of accessible services an arts venue or museum is currently offering.
This research is nearly completed and should be published by June 2023.
Ransack Dance
We have helped Ransack with their business development plans including producing a new business plan and detailed operational financial planning.
The Successors of the Mandingue
We have helped The Successors of the Mandingue with their business development including a new business plan and detailed financial plans and a skills audit.