Introduction to Our Plan
We are artists and other creative people. We want to make art and culture more
inclusive for everyone. We think art can bring people together and make the world
better. This plan is our way of saying that we want a future where everyone can be
creative and included.
Who We Want to Help: We want to help artists and people with disabilities. They
are leading the way to make art more inclusive. We also want to help teachers,
funders, and others who help artists and make decisions about art.
What We Think: We think this plan can help all kinds of artists. We know that
people with disabilities don’t always get the support they need. We want to change
that.
What We Want to Happen: We want to ensure everyone has what they need to be
creative. We want to work together and ensure artists have the right spaces, tools,
and opportunities. We believe that everyone should be able to create without
problems, and people with disabilities should have what they need to express
themselves.
After making an artwork, we want to ensure everyone can see and enjoy it. We
think that disabled artists should have the same opportunities as everyone else.
We hope that this plan will make art more inclusive and give everyone a fair
chance. Together, we can ensure that everyone’s voice is heard and that the art
world is fair.
- Changing Attitudes: Aim for a supportive environment where everyone can
succeed, rather than just meeting the bare minimum.
Be aware that inadequate support can lead to new challenges.
While we help one another, it can sometimes create extra difficulties which then need
more help. - Access & Inclusion: Talk to people beforehand about their access needs and
plan accordingly, instead of waiting until the last minute. Gather proper accessibility
details from event locations and perform checks before organising events there.
For hybrid events, ensure the space accommodates both in-person and remote
participants. Be flexible with working practices to adapt to changing needs, and
assess support requirements for the entire group, not just individuals. Make sure art
displays are accessible to audiences. - Empowerment: Create chances to uplift individuals from underrepresented
backgrounds and those facing various forms of marginalisation. Involve disabled
people in all stages of work, not just the end.
- Community Building: Encourage collaborative efforts and acknowledge that the
final output is just part of a larger project. Focus on building relationships and
community throughout all stages, and create opportunities for ongoing connections
beyond individual projects. - Communication & Teamwork: If access needs can’t be met, be honest about
limitations and work together to find solutions. Recognise that people’s needs may
conflict and hold discussions to navigate these conflicts. Develop group guidelines
for participation, agree on timelines, clarify roles, share the workload and check in
regularly to prevent burnout during projects.
Summary
To make big changes, we need to create a place where we can talk about our needs
and ask for fair treatment. This should be normal, not unusual. We need to do this
quickly. We need to tell organisations and people what we expect them to do over
the next few years. We want the film industry to always support everyone and make
sure everyone is included.
If we make these changes, it will help more than just one person. It will make the
work we create better. We will make more kinds of art that more people like. This will
help us tell more real stories and think of new ideas. This will make the whole
creative industry better.
We hope that we won’t need to ask for these changes in the future. We want
everyone to just do the right thing without being asked. We want these ideas to be
normal.
We want the conversation to be about how we can keep getting better.
If we make these changes, we could make the film industry a good example for
others. If everyone can have a good job, we can stop talking about problems and
start talking about how good things are. We can make the film industry better and
show other industries how to make improvements.