Shape Arts focuses on leading the way – in an innovative fashion – for the inclusion of disabled people in the creative and cultural sector. Over the 40 years since Shape was founded, the first legislation recognising the rights of disabled people was introduced; Shape, keen to make a difference for disabled people, developed highly valuable access audits for arts and cultural venues.
These audits clearly mapped out the improvements and changes that would have to be made to include disabled people as audience members, employees and creatives. Disability Equality Training was delivered by Shape to staff from various organisations. The Shape was also responsible for the very first National Disability Arts Conference back in 1991.
Due to their constant work with major cultural institutions, their ultimate goal is to see disabled people reach their full potential and for their full inclusion into the mainstream of arts and culture.
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Royal Opera House
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National Theatre
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Southbank Centre
The Shape is a disability-led arts organisation that continuously works to provide better opportunities and support for disabled artists. They also work with cultural organisations with the aim of generating greater inclusiveness and better confidence in working alongside disabled people. Shape’s main values are:
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Inclusion
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Ambition
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Creativity
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Excellence
These values allow Shape Arts to work towards promoting greater accessibility and inclusion, thus opening talent and audience gateways. Accessible learning and development opportunities are also provided to help disabled artists and individuals build sustainable careers.
Shape provides a number of professional development opportunities, including:
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Workshops
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Networking Opportunities
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Mentoring schemes
Exhibitions and events can be accessible both live and online, where the work of talented artists can be received and recognised, critiqued and congratulated, all in front of a diverse audience. Shape work with people of all ages and those from a whole range of cultural and economic backgrounds.
Shape Arts 40th Anniversary
This year sees Shape turn 40 and is undoubtedly going to be a special year for the organisation. There are sure to be many events and special occasions to mark the milestone, and the hard work doesn’t slow up now they’ve reached four decades of constant campaigning for inclusion and better support for the disabled community.
Accessible Venues
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Audio Description
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Captioning
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Sign Language Interpreted Performances (Our personal favourite, we’re only a little biased)
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Relaxed Performances
Sign Language interpreted performances are a regular feature of the London theatre, allowing for Deaf people to have access to their preferred language British Sign Language (BSL). An Interpreter will be clearly visible and provide interpretation for everything that is spoken and heard during the show.
We know throughout this post that we’ve used the word “disabled” a fair few times. While we recognise that many of the Deaf community view themselves as a linguistic, cultural minority, this has been used to explain the work of Shape Arts.
Apart from working with D/deaf artists and emerging creatives, Shape promotes accessible events through its website and social media that are accessible to deaf people. To take a few examples:
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Accessible Cinemas (Cineworld/ODEON)
Subtitles for deaf people are available at certain performances at Cineworld. Hearing loops(either infrared or induction) are installed at all of their cinemas’ auditoria (except at The O2 Greenwich). Please check with the box office which facility is available. Next-generation text service calls are available on their telephone booking service.
To find a subtitled performance at your local ODEON, simply select the “Subtitled” filter when viewing the performances at your cinema. In addition, the “Your Local Cinema” website provides full listings of captioned performances at ODEON and other cinemas. They also have Infra Red headsets to support your film soundtrack hearing. Please enquire at the cinema Box Office if you require one of these headsets. In addition, hearing loops are available at some of their Box Office and food and drink counters, just look for the hearing loop symbol.
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Accessible Heritage Sites (Banqueting House/Hampton Court Palace/Kensington Palace/Kew Palace and Queen Charlotte’s Cottage)
All are accessible in BSL, with induction loops available at Banqueting House and Hampton Court Palace.
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Accessible Multi-Arts Centres (Barbican/Cecil Sharp House/Roundhouse/Southbank Centre)
- Accessible Galleries (The Barbican Gallery/Dulwich Picture Gallery/National Gallery/National Portrait Gallery/Photographers Gallery/Royal Academy of Art/Shape Arts Gallery/Wellcome Collection/William Morris Gallery)
- Accessible Museums (Design Museum/Geffrye Museum/Science Museum/Victoria & Albert Museum/V&A Museum of Childhood/Royal Museums Greenwich/Wallace Collection)
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Accessible Theatres (Arcola Theatre/Donmar Warehouse/National Theatre/New Diorama Theatre/Royal Albert Hall/Royal Opera House/Saddlers Wells/Soho Theatre/Tricycle Theatre/Unicorn Theatre)
