Dada-News - Online

Accentuate

One vision, 15 Projects, 1000 days to create a cultural shift

Dr Tom Shakespeare talks to Accentuate Director, Esther Appleyard about what he feelings it would take for a cultural shift in attitudes towards disabled people to take place, in the advent of The Paralympics.

His message is that there is an opportunity for disabled people to be seen to be contributing to society given that systems of support are in place to allow disabled people to take part. The more disabled people are seen in the public eye, the more this will filter hrough into the ways disabled people are perceived.
www.accentuate-se.org

Staff Benda Bilili

Staff Benda Bilili: eight inspiring street musicians from Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Playing instruments improvised from scrap found in the street, they were dubbed by the Guardian as one of the most exciting live bands on the planet, when they toured the UK at the end of last year..

You can listen to some tracks from this truly inspirational band via links to videos and recordings on myspace and youtube.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtVZhaZp6Ng
www.myspace.com/staffbendabilili

Freewheelers Theatre Company

Freewheelers are developing a number of works together that combine digital arts and live performance under the umbrella of 'Audacity of Resistance'.

The individual elements can stand alone or form part of a larger performance. The idea is to create works that are inspired by and reflect Olympian and Paralympian values of excellence, friendship and respect. Freewheelers have already achieved an Inspire Mark for some of their dance work.
To find out more about Audacity go to the Freewheelers website
www.freewheelerstheatre.co.uk/projects/92-audacity

Aaron Williamson's blog

Aaron Williamson is the recipient of the Adam Reynolds Memorial Bursary for 2010.
He began a residency at Spike Island, Bristol on 3 February 2010. His blog on dao covers the strange-but-true journeys that disability artists make in their endeavours for excellence.

Amongst his proposals is the declaration of an ‘independent state of art’, for the island, complete with border controls, an army of naked performance artists and an anthem adopted from another island of troubles: ‘The sea oh the sea, is the gradh geal mo croide; long may it stay between England and me, It’s a sure guarantee that some hour we’ll be free. Oh thank god we’re surrounded by water!'
www.disabilityartsonline.org.uk/aaron-williamson

Photo of Aaron Williamson in performance as 'screaming beatle'

Arts Council England Consultation

Arts Council England has opened a consultation on future priorities for the arts. This consultation sets out their "understanding of the current landscape, celebrates the success of the arts and identifies areas for development over the next ten years".

They are asking for your thoughts on the way forward. The consultation will close on 14 April 2010.
To take part visit www.artscouncil.org.uk/consultation