A Brief Guide to Combining Accessibility with Creativity

This news update comes on behalf of Ben Rostance and Jo Tolley, who are currently working together to deliver ‘A Brief Guide to Combining Accessibility with Creativity’ toolkit, part of Addressing inequalities and under-representation in the Region’s sector, a Contemporary Visual Arts Network East Midlands project supported by Art Fund.

Ben and Jo want the development of the toolkit to be informed by the experiences and knowledge of creatives and arts audiences from across the region. We ask for your support in shaping this vital resource, helping to inform arts and culture activity in the East Midlands that champions representation and inclusivity. 

You are invited to complete the online survey developed by Jo and Ben by – https://forms.gle/EKzf2TtWBL1tSP1D8. We ask that the survey is completed by 18 October 2021. 

Alternatively, you are invited to join Jo and Ben for an informal workshop where the questions presented in the survey will be addressed in a safe and supportive online environment. You are welcome to attend with a friend or carer, but we ask that the Zoom link that we provide is not shared publicly and that attendee names are shared with us in advance so that we can ensure best practice around safeguarding in a virtual space.

Please email to confirm your participation in the workshop, stating which session (1 or 2) you will be attending at one of the email addresses below by 5pm on the 18 October 2021. Once you have RSVP’d you will be emailed a link to the Zoom call session of your choice. (Session 1: 2:30-3:30pm, or Session 2: 6pm-7pm).

If you have any questions, or would like to receive the questionnaire in a different format, please email info@cvaneastmidlands.co.uk

More information on Ben & Jo

Ben Rostance is a working-class artist born and based in the East Midlands. He creates artwork that documents snapshots of his experience of childhood trauma, unpredictable mental health and his experience of growing up in a large, poor working-class family in the U.K. He draws heavily on his 16 years’ experience of working in the health and social care sector to inform much of his attitude towards positive ways of coping with trauma.

Jo Tolley (she/her) believes in the vibrant, unstoppable force attributed to finding your own lane. An energetic writer, artist and facilitator with lived experience of Cerebral Palsy, Jo is an all-round advocate for disability integration.  Jo strives to create a new trajectory for disabled communities by championing equity and diversity, promoting self-acceptance as the key to positively influencing how disability is portrayed and understood.