Calling Emerging Artists, Producers, Students and Graduates!

Tramways Unlimited Festival is coming soon and as part of it we will be hosting a What Next? symposium, generously supported by Unlimited Impact. We would LOVE to hear from you about joining us for it.

What Next?

21^st and 22^nd September 2016

10am - 3:30pm 

In a context of economic uncertainty, harmful narratives around disability, lack of access to training and education and dwindling arts provision in schools, how do we ensure the next generation of disabled artists? A two-day symposium for emerging artists, students, graduates and the sector asking what our commitment is to the next generation?

There are a few ways you can be involved.... 

1. COME ALONG!! It's YOU that we want and need to hear from you. We'll do the work to get the funders, companies, programmers and everyone else along that can support the next generation of artists but we need your voices there to ensure that it's you setting the agenda. There will be long lunch each day giving you a chance to sit down and share food with colleagues and peers.                                                                                                                            
2. Prepare a provocation or presentation for the Platform section of the day. We have four mentors (Janice Parker, Aidan Moesby, Ramesh Meyyappan and Caroline Bowditch) who will work with one person each to prepare this in advance of the day. The mentors will select their mentee from their expressions of interest which should be sent to Kim on unlimited@makeshifthappen.info using Platform as the subject line. A fee will be paid.                                                                                                                                                                           
3. Work with me (Kim Simpson) to facilitate the Lab part of the day. This will involve some time with Kim in advance of the day discussing facilitation and the aims of the session. These individuals will also help identify the pressing issues for further discussion. A fee will be paid. 

This event aims to highlight the concerns and ideas that you, as emerging arts practitioners have and the barriers or opportunities you face. What Next taps into active conversations about how disabled arts practitioners find pathways into an arts practice or career… we want to hear from you on this stuff and use What Next to amplify your voice, identify some actions we can take and share our collective learning with the arts sector in Scotland and beyond.

We have a budget for access and welcome expressions of interest from all students, graduates, artists and producers.

Please do contact Kim if you have any questions regarding Tramway’s Unlimited Festival, Kim Asks What? or What Next? 

kimaskswhat@makeshifthappen.info

unlimited@makeshifthappen.info

Image: Crippen/David Lupton cartoons

PLEDGE: What Next?

One of the questions that I've been pondering in the developing of the Tramway's Unlimited Festival: What? programme is around commitment. I've been fortunate to have some really rich conversations with a cohort of established artists based in Scotland in preparing the programme and commitment is something that came out again and again. What is our personal commitment, what organisations are committed and what does commitment mean beyond box-ticking and Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion plans?

In particular there is a question around commitment to the next generation of disabled artists. We've come out of a period of fantastic support for disabled artists, with targeted and strategic funds addressing inequalities in the sector and providing opportunities for artists specifically to redress these imbalances. However the artists that have benefited most from these initiatives are now so successful and busy that there is a real capacity issue when we look to ensuring the next generation. While wanting to ensure that disabled voices are the ones that articulate the needs of an evolving sector, it's not practical or possible to keep placing the responsibility for this on the same five or ten people that always get asked. 

One part of the solution is that we need allies. We need organisations with capacity and resources to get on side and advocate for embedding work by disabled artists across the whole cultural sector in Scotland and UK, to make room for this (and other types of) diversity in their programmes and events. Much in the same way that feminism needs male allies, racism needs white allies and classism needs privileged allies, ablism needs non-disabled allies. So who are our allies and what is their commitment? 

A key aspect of the Tramway's Unlimited Festival: What? programme is a two day symposium asking the question What Next? Tapping into active conversations in Scotland around disability and dance, this event will open up the conversation to other artforms. The symposium seeks to create spaces for the young and emerging artists we want to support to set their own agenda, to platform them and amplify their voices, needs, demands and desires and to work with them to set some actions. What's vitally important is that those allies in the sector with the power to facilitate these actions are there and are listening and are ready to act.

So my pledge is to create this space, to be mindful that we need to hear from those that really know what barriers exist for them, to ensure that those who can help are there to do just that and to make sure the discussion gets out so we can keep moving things in the right direction.

The What Next? symposium is supported generously by Unlimited Impact and will take place at Tramway on 21st and 22nd September 2016. See the Tramway website for more details.

What Next?

21 & 22 September 2016

10am - 3:30pm 

Free, please book in advance

artmusiclearning@glasgowlife.org.uk | 0141 302 2810

Tramway

In a context of economic and political uncertainty, harmful narratives around disability, lack of access to training and education and dwindling arts provision in schools, how do we ensure the next generation of disabled artists? A two-day symposium for emerging artists, students, graduates and the sector asking what your commitment is to the next generation?

Includes an Open Space session, Platforming emerging artists, a Lab exploring the issues more deeply and Reflections and Setting Actions for ourselves and our champions in the sector. Keep an eye out for ways to engage with What Next over the coming weeks!