Long term relationship building versus short term engagement Join the conversation #BCDArts

Carole McFadden British Council Programme Manager - Theatre & Dance East Asia, Middle East and North Africa

WHO WE ARE Established in 1936, the British Council creates international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries, and builds trust between them worldwide It is the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations We work in over 100 countries, connecting millions of people with the United Kingdom through programmes and services in the English language, the Arts, Education and SocietyEnglish ArtsEducation Society

OUR WORK IN THE ARTS Our global arts programmes reflect the innovative and diverse nature of the UK’s performing arts sector, encompassing classical theatre, modern ballet, new writing, physical and visual theatre, contemporary dance, live art and outdoor performance We do this through a range of activities and events, including tours of new productions; workshops and residencies; seminars and conferences; showcases and UK study visits for overseas practitioners. Photo: Marc Brew and Candoco Dance Company

Commissioning process for work by Deaf and disabled artists for presentation in the Cultural Olympiad celebrations in London 2012 (Funded by LOCOG and ACE) Opportunity for the British Council to partner five new collaborations between UK and international Deaf and disabled artists. (Funded by LOCOG, ACE and British Council) Ongoing partnership offering support, mentoring, international advice and placement of work in our global programmes UNLIMITED Photo: Claire Cunningham, ME (Mobile/Evolution)

WHAT THIS MEANT FOR THE BRITISH COUNCIL a unique opportunity to present the work in our global arts programmes enhance and broaden the impact of non- arts specific British Council initiatives such as Active Citizens, Governance and other related programmes to raise issues around the status of disabled and Deaf artists and disability arts through our wrap-around programmes work with local venues and festivals to address accessibility issues, mentoring and volunteering schemes, and aid employment opportunities for disabled and Deaf young people and artists Bobby Baker, Diary Drawings

QATAR: March 2013 Brochure copy for the Arts and Disability Festival held in Doha in March 2013 Recognised as a leader in disability arts, this first festival drew on UK expertise to provide a platform to engage local audiences on disability issues to change perceptions of disability within society.

BANGLADESH: March 2013 Jenny Sealey, Artistic Director of Graeae Theatre leading workshops with disabled young people aspiring to be performers Photo: British Council Bangladesh, Jenny Sealey & participants from CRP

BAHRAIN : March 2013 Visual artist Rachel Gadsden working with disabled children at the Al-Riwaq Gallery Photo: British Council Bahrain and Rachel Gadsden, Al-Riwaq Gallery

BRAZIL: APRIL 2013 Graeae Theatre’s Reasons to be Cheerful gets audiences in Rio de Janeiro up on their feet during the Transform Festival Photo: British Council Brazil, Graeae Theatre Company ‘Reason’s to be Cheerful’ concert

Photo: Southbank Centre’s Unlimited Festival 2014, by Rachel Cherry for Unlimited

UNLIMITED FESTIVAL, SOUTHBANK CENTRE, LONDON: September 2014 UK artists talking about their experiences of working internationally as part of the legacy of Unlimited 2012 Photo: Southbank Centre’s Unlimited Festival 2014, by Rachel Cherry for Unlimited

UNLIMITED FESTIVAL, SOUTHBANK CENTRE LONDON: September international delegates from 27 countries attended the 2014 festival British Council delivered a series of talks and networking sessions to enable delegates to meet the artists and practitioners Mentoring for Unlimited artists about to embark on international touring and engagements Opportunity for British Council arts managers to update their knowledge and influence our global arts programmes Creating channels for UK expertise and great work to gain international exposure Changing perceptions of disability at a social, educational and government levels Photo: Southbank Centre’s Unlimited Festival 2014, by Rachel Cherry for Unlimited

LEGACY PROJECTS IN DEVELOPMENT Continued engagement in the Middle East - Arts and Disability Conference scheduled for March 2015 Further opportunity to engage with the Unlimited Programme and Unlimited Festival at the Southbank Centre, London, in 2016 Continued engagement with the Transform Festival in the lead-up to Rio 2016 Developing new projects in Singapore (2016), Burma (2015), Mexico (2015), Ireland (from 2014), Senegal ( 2015)

Caroline Bowditch Performance Artist, Choreographer & Provocateur

girl jonah

The FATHoM Project

Proband

Angels of Incidence

‘Are ya dancin’?’

The Long and the Short of It

NQR

Make Music Move

Leftovers

Leaving Limbo Landing

Torque

Falling in love with Frida

Sawang Srisom Composer & Former Chairperson of the Network of Music and Arts of Persons with Disabilities (Thailand)