Department for Culture Media and Sport
disability arts
DCMS supports disability arts
DCMS believes that everybody has the right to perform, manage, innovate and direct in all of our diverse creative industries. Inclusion of disabled people in the arts is a profitable investment in our cultural heritage and creative economy.
Our aims are supported by legislation, which is in place to promote the civil rights of disabled people and to protect them from discrimination.
Disability arts online
This unique website for disability arts, supported by the Arts Council England, informs and celebrates the creative work of disabled artists across all forms of the arts.
According to disability arts online, disability arts are:
“seriously intentioned creative work - poems or painting or music or comedy or theatre or whatever - made with some sort of aesthetic purpose. It is not a hobby to keep the cripples' hands busy. And it is not therapy”
Find out more by visiting disability arts online
The Disability Discrimination Acts 1995 and 2005 (DDA 1995 and 2005)
From 1 October 2004, all businesses and other organisations must now take reasonable steps to address physical features that act as a barrier to disabled people who want to access their services.
This includes galleries, music venues, theatres and other art organisations and venues.
Are you complying with the Acts?
If you want to make sure that you are complying with the DDA 1995, read Action for Access,an Arts Council England publication.
It provides arts organisations with practical information about making their venues, products and services more accessible.
Arts Council invests in disabled artists
Arts Council England has marked its commitment to disability rights by awarding large funding increases to several organisations involving disabled artists.
These include Graeae, Heart n' Soul and CandoCo, all of which exemplify that excellence need not be compromised.
What can I do?
Keep up to date about disability arts events and find out about disabled artists and their work by joining the National Disability Arts Forum.
If you want to find an accessible arts venue, visit the Arts Access website.
Want to find out about how “Attitude is Everything” has been working to improve disabled people’s access to live music – they have set up a Charter of Best Practice for live music venues across the UK.
Artsline is a charity which provides access information for the London region. If you want to find information on accessibility in London Theatres, the Society of London Theatre has worked with Artsline to produce a comprehensive access guide.
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