Culture & Development: Unlimited

British Council’s Culture & Development: Unlimited in Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine aims to explore models of good practice and develop partnerships to (a) create a network for disabled arts practitioners and presenters/producers and (b) establish a series of cross-country public platforms (including digital) for disability arts development, production and training which will bring disabled people to the centre of the planning and policy-making processes, challenge social attitudes by exposing audiences to integrated arts practice and, ultimately influence social policy and legislation.

In the video bellow, Claire Cunningham, one of the UK’s most acclaimed and internationally renowned disabled artists, talks about Give Me a Reason To Live, her solo show inspired by the works of medieval painter Hieronymus Bosch. The work is a stark exploration of issues of religion (religious art in particular), the judgement of bodies and the quality of life; it is also a study of empathy.

Call for Applications

British Council in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia is organising a three-day Project Proposal Writing, Planning, Delivery and Evaluation training led by Tim Wheeler, the representative ofFEI- Festivals and Events International, UK. The training will be held on 8, 9 and 10 November 2018.

Tim is a freelance arts consultant, teacher and performance maker. He is a co-founder and former artistic director of Mind the Gap Theatre Company in Bradford, UK. Tim has more than 30 years’ experience of devising, managing and leading 18 national touring and site-specific productions and more than 100 arts projects and educational programmes.

The Project Proposal Writing, Planning, Delivery and Evaluation training is the part of the British Council’s Unlimited: Making the Right Steps Programme. The aim of the programme is to support development of arts created by and for the people with disabilities and creation of accessible environment for them by sharing experience and good practice from the UK. The training is a unique opportunity for disabled and non-disabled artists to interact, share experiences and develop new relationships.

Interested disabled as well as nondisabled artists working in the sector of disability arts are requested to send the completed registration form until 23:59 o’clock on 19 October 2018 to Ketevan Tvildiani, Arts Assistant.

Please note that only the selected applicants will be contacted.

Events implemented in the project

21 September 2017 - Barbara Lisicki, a trainer from Shape, the disability-led arts organisation, conducted the access audit the Rustaveli and Marjanishvili Theatres. Recommendations prepared by B. Lisicki will help to improve accessibility for disabled audiences as well as for disabled artists.

22 September 2017 - Shape (LINK) trainer Barbara Lisicki conducted a workshop for theatre professionals in Georgia. The aim of the workshop was to share the UK experience in the area of venue accessibility.

30 September 2017 - Deaf Men Dancing, all-male deaf dance company with a fusion of different dance styles incorporating British Sign-Language performed at the TBS International. The company presented its new outdoor work called ‘TEN'

31 October - 2 November 2017 – Candoco’s Dance Lab 1 for the Georgian dancers interested in inclusive dance is organised in partnership with the Tbilisi Kote Marjanishvili State Drama Theatre.

18 - 20 April 2018 – Candoco’s Dance Lab 2 for the Georgian dancers interested in inclusive dance is organised in partnership with the Tbilisi Kote Marjanishvili State Drama Theatre.