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Resources

One Dance UK

Considering Difference – Making Dance Accessible, is an ongoing project by One Dance UK, addressing gaps in dance-specific policy and practical guidance for dance venues. Download resource here.

 

Mind

Mind provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding. Visit their website.


Mencap

Mencap's mission is to transform society's attitudes to learning disability and improve the quality of life of people with a learning disability and their families. Visit their website.

 

Scope

Scope is the disability equality charity in England and Wales. It provides practical information and emotional support and campaign to create a fairer society. Visit their website.

 

Down's Syndrome Association

The Down's Syndrome Association (DSA) is the only charity in the UK dealing with all aspects of Down's syndrome. Visit their website.

 

National Autistic Society

The National Autistic Society is the UK's largest provider of specialist autism services. Visit their website.

 

National Deaf Children's Society

The National Deaf Children's Society is the UK's leading charity for deaf children. Visit their website.

 

Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)

RNIB is one of the UK's leading sight loss charities and the largest community of blind and partially sighted people. Visit their website.

 

Access All Areas

Access All Areas creates performances by learning disabled and autistic artists. Visit their website.

 

ActOne ArtsBase

ActOne ArtsBase is a charity providing inclusive dance and performance training for disabled and non-disabled people. It provides weekly dance sessions, a trainee programme for aspiring disabled dance professionals, inclusive nightclubs, holiday projects and touring performance companies. Visit the website here.

 

Amici Dance

AMICI Dance Theatre Company is a unique dance theatre company integrating able-bodied and disabled artists and performers. Visit their website.

 

Birds of Paradise

A theatre company based in Scotland, where disabled and non-disabled artists, writers and theatre­makers drawn from diverse cultures make innovative and accessible work that embeds creative access. Visit their website.

 

Brainkind

A leading national charity, providing innovative care, rehabilitation and support solutions for people after brain injury. Visit their website.

 

Carousel

Carousel is a learning disability led organisation working at a strategic level in the arts, media and education sectors to support the equality of opportunity for learning disabled people in the creative industries. Visit their website.

 

Corali

Corali is a leading organisation involved in dance created by artists with a learning disability. They offer classes and workshop for people with learning disabilities and a youth dance company. Visit their website.

 

Candoco Dance Company

Candoco Dance Company is a professional dance company comprising disabled and non-disabled dancers. They offer a range of learning programmes. Visit their website.

 

Dance Unstuck

Dance Unstuck is a research and development programme which explores a teaching approach and infrastructure through which dance classes can become more universally accessible to all. Visit their website.

 

Deafinitely Theatre

Deafinitely Theatre is a deaf led professional theatre company in the UK producing quality bilingual theatre in British Sign Language and spoken English. Visit their website.

 

Disability Arts Online

Disability Arts Online is an organisation led by disabled people, set up to advance disability arts and culture. It gives disabled artists a platform to blog and share thoughts and images describing artistic practice and projects. Visit their website.

 

Diverse Futures

Diverse futures highlights opportunities for young people in the UK who are disabled. Visit their website.

 

Extant

Extant is a professional performing arts company of visually impaired artists and theatre practitioners, producing touring productions and delivering training regionally and internationally. Visit their website.

 

Graeae

Graeae is a force for change in world-class theatre, boldly placing deaf and disabled actors centre stage and challenging preconceptions. Visit their website.

 

icandance

icandance's mission is to nurture creativity, learning and wellbeing through dance and movement. Visit their website.

 

Jabadao - National Centre for Movement Play

Jabadao offers training, project delivery and resources for teachers working with children and young people with special needs. Visit their website.

 

Magpie Dance

Magpie Dance is the UK's leading dance charity for people with learning disabilities, believing that a learning disability should not be a barrier to personal and artistic success. Visit their website.

 

Para Dance UK

Para Dance UK is the national governing body for Para Dance Sport in the UK. Its aim is to develop and promote dance as a sport and an inclusive leisure activity across the country for those who would otherwise be excluded. Visit their website.

 

Stopgap Dance Company

Stopgap Dance Company makes contemporary dance work that integrates disabled and non­disabled dancers. Alongside professional performances and classes, the company runs a youth dance education programme and community dance workshops. Visit their website.

 

Tailfeather Dance

Tailfeather Dance provides opportunities for young adult dancers with learning needs to develop dance, movement and performance skills in a range of genres. Visit their website.

 

Touchdown Dance

Touchdown Dance is a company that creates performances and workshops for visually impaired and sighted people. Visit their website.

 

Touretteshero

Toureeteshero celebrates and shares the creativity and humour of Tourettes with the widest possible audience, and promotes inclusion of neurodiversity in the arts. Visit their website.

 

Unlimited

Unlimited is an arts commissioning programme that enables new work by disabled artists to reach UK and international audiences. Unlimited supports ambitious, creative projects by outstanding disabled artists and companies. Visit their website.

 

Unscene Suffolk

A community theatre company for adults with visual impairment. Visit their website.

 

#WeShallNotBeRemoved

An alliance of organisations and individuals that campaigns for and supports deaf, neurodivergent and disabled creative practitioners and organisations through and after the coronavirus pandemic: to ensure a sustainable future for disability and inclusive arts in the UK, and amplify the voices of deaf, neurodivergent and disabled creative practitioners and disability arts organisations at a time of crisis for the arts and for disabled people. Visit their website.

 

Key Elements of Inclusive Practice

Parents discuss the key elements that support their young adult dancer with learning difficulties/disabilities to engage, participate, develop and achieve.

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Dance Opportunities 

Parents share their views on opportunities within the dance world for young adult dancers who have learning difficulties/disabilities.

Download PDF 

 

Barriers to Inclusion

Parents share their experiences and thoughts on the barriers that exist in dance for young adult dancers with learning difficulties/disabilities.

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Breaking Down Barriers to Inclusion

Parents share their ideas and thoughts on how barriers within dance can be broken down for young adult dancers who have learning difficulties/disabilities.

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Challenges that Parents Face

Parents of young adult dancers with learning difficulties/disabilities share the challenges they have faced in finding and securing opportunities within the dance world.

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Terminology

Parents of young adult dancers with learning difficulties/disabilities share their thoughts on terminology that is used for dance and disabilities.

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Person First

Parents share something special.

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Creating an Accessible Dance Space

Every teacher has a responsibility to ensure that their working space can be accessed by everybody. Discover some of our top tips to create an accessible dance space.

Learn more

Dancing with dyslexia: the perfect pas de deux 

Hear from an experienced dancer on why this unusual pairing is more compatible than some could think.

Read more

 

Contact us

Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Hub will be updated on a regular basis. Do you think we’re missing an important resource? Let us know via email at info@istd.org