Calling all young disabled creatives!
Following the success of our Access All Areas project in 2023, we’re delighted to announce an exciting continuation to the project!
If you’re aged 16 – 25 and identify as disabled, we invite you to join us in gaining unique skills and experience in programming a part of the 2024 Lancashire Encounter Festival!
We’ll be having 10 meetings in Preston from April through to the festival in September, with opportunities to meet and learn from other disabled creatives, learning about the festival, event programming, marketing, then putting it all together to co-ordinate and produce our very own part of the festival!
If you’re interested in getting involved, contact Helena on helena@blazeonline.org.uk or call/text 07928668734.
Meeting dates:
14th April 1pm – 3pm
21st April 1pm – 3pm
28th April 2pm – 4pm
19th May 1pm – 3pm
6th/7th or 21st July (TBC)
11th August 1pm – 3pm
18th August 1pm – 3pm
8th September 1pm – 3pm
15th September 1pm – 3pm
22nd September – Day of the Festival.
Venue:
St George’s Church, Georges Road, Preston, PR1 2NP
Carers, companions and PA’s welcome!
Being a disabled led project, we understand how important access is and we do our upmost to ensure everyone’s access needs are met.
If you have any questions or concerns about how we can accomodate your access needs, please don’t hesitate to email helena@blazeonline.org.uk or text message 07928668734.
Learn more about last year’s project below!
The Access All Areas project took place in Preston every Sunday between May and August 2023. Led by young disabled people and professional poet Helena Ascough, the project facilitated participants in exploring creative passions by inviting other professional disabled creatives to present workshops, and co-ordinating an arts exhibition to celebrate the project.
Photography by Isobel Greenhalgh Creative
The start of the project was all about getting creative. This involved creative writing workshops with project leader Helena Ascough, a scriptwriting workshop with Matthew Gabrielli, music performances by Arisha-Jane Marsh and Oliver Cross, and a poetry reading with Shaun Fallows.
On June 18th, 2023, the group visited the ‘Nothing About Us, Without Us’ exhibition at the People’s History Museum in Manchester. The exhibition explored the history of activism by disability rights campaigners by showcasing protest materials and arts mediums. This exhibition inspired the group’s decision to produce their own arts exhibition; ‘Discovery: A Journey Through a Unique Perspective’
“Discovery: A Journey Through a Unique Perspective spotlights early-career artists and their individual journeys through self-discovery and the world around us, and how our unique life experiences translate in our artistic expression.”
– Words by Benny, Access All Areas Young Producer.
The ‘Discovery: A Journey Through a Unique Perspective was co-ordinated and curated by the Access All Areas young producers, and also included some of their art. The process involved working together to create a concept, logo and artist call out, deciding on which pieces would be showcased in the exhibition, choosing the venue, creating marketing content and ensuring that the exhibition was accessible by audio describing the pieces of art involved in the exhibition. The young producers also contacted a photographer and videographer to capture the day.
The ‘Discovery: A Journey Through a Unique Perspective’ exhibition and Q&A took place on Sunday, July 30th at The Larder Café, Arts and Community Hub in Preston.
The art included in the exhibition is:
‘Look to the Stars’ 2023 – Ava Jolliffe
‘I try to speak to God but the sky is empty’ Series – Ally Zlatar
‘The Discovery of Reflection’ – Lee Plane (Access All Areas Young Producer)
‘Depression Series (Blue)’ – Grecia Balassone
‘Case Studies of A Autistic Showman’ 2021 – Lawlight Maledictus
‘A Short Thoughtful Poem’ – Holly Craig (Access All Areas Young Producer)
‘Discovering Myself’ – Bee Walker (Access All Areas Young Producer)
‘Nocturnal Shades 1’ – Helen Williams
Videography by Graham Kay at Fully Formed Films.
“Every day during the summer we made plans and have a laugh about the event we were planning, but also sharing the same laughs and struggles we’ve been through before Blaze. I enjoyed special field trips for example when we went to Manchester and the event planning so if in the future, I want to make events myself I can.”
– Words by Ben, Access All Areas Young Producer.
Check out Bee’s Story!
If you’d like more information about the Access All Areas project, email helena@blazeonline.org.uk
Photography by Isobel Greenhalgh Creative
