Curator Hannah Wallis, who is deaf, will speak at the Curating Institutional Change events.
A series of free online events this June will discuss how the visual arts sector can become more inclusive and accessible for Disabled people.
The Curating Institutional Change series is hosted by disability arts charity DASH, and includes speakers drawn from across the sector including Wysing Arts Centre, MIMA, Watershed, mac, International Curators Forum and the University of Leicester. Independent artists and curators will include George Vasey, Sam Metz, Amanprit Sandhu, Ashokkumar Mistry and Hannah Wallis.
Each event will focus on a different theme. Rocking the Boat looks at how organisations can set out on their own journey of changing the status quo; Care and Compassion examines how we care for our community of artists, curators and staff; and Inside Out:Outside In explores how organisations can benefit from developing inclusive structures.
The Curating Institutional Change series forms the launch of the Future Curators Programme 2023-2027, in which Disabled curators will take year-long residencies within host visual arts organisations. Applications will be welcome from organisations in England who are committed to making genuine institutional change and diversifying the sector.
Since 2018, DASH has worked with mac, MIMA and Wysing Arts Centre to develop the Future Curators Programme, with each organisation hosting a Disabled curator for a 12 month period.
The programme has highlighted – and hopefully started to address – serious issues of access and representation for disabled people within the visual arts workforce. According to recent figures from Arts Council England, only 6% of permanent employees of regularly-funded visual arts organisations identify as disabled, compared with 21% of the working-age population*.
Event Listings:
Curating Institutional Change
Three free online events to discuss how the visual arts sector can become more inclusive and accessible for Disabled people.
Rocking the Boat
Wednesday 16 June, 1.30pm-2.30pm
Deborah Kermode from mac joins the International Curators Forum, Teresa Cisneros from the Wellcome Trust and artist-curator Ashokkumar Mistry to discuss how to go about making organisational change. How can we encourage and create change, whilst avoiding resistance and fear?
Book here.
Care and Compassion
Wednesday 23 June, 1.30pm-2.30pm
Clare Reddington from Watershed and curator Hannah Wallis to discuss how we care for our artists, staff and community when making change.
Book here.
Inside Out:Outside In
Wednesday 30 June, 1.30pm-2.30pm
Mike Layward of DASH joins curator Amanprit Sandhu, independent evaluator Morag Ballantyne and Richard Sandell from the University of Leicester to discuss the benefits that inclusivity brings to organisations. This event also launches the Future Curators Programme 2023-2027, with details of how it works and how to apply.
Book here.
For more details about Curating Institutional Change and the Future Curators Programme, visit www.dasharts.org
Curating Institutional Change is funded by Artfund and Arts Council England.
* Data gleaned from the 2018-2019 Annual Diversity Report from Arts Council England, available to view at https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/developing-creativity-and-culture/diversity#
