SPAN are partnering with Unlimited UK’s International Partner Awards for Disabled Artists.
SPAN are partnering with Unlimited UK's International Partner Awards for Disabled Artists.
SPAN Arts are a proud partner in Unlimited’s UK & International Partner Awards for Disabled Artists.
Unlimited is an arts commissioning body that supports, funds and promotes new work by disabled artists for UK and international audiences. Since 2013, they have supported over 460 artists with over £4.9 million reaching audiences of over 5 million making it the largest supporter of disabled artists world-wide.
In April 2022, Unlimited became an independent organisation with a mission to commission extraordinary work from disabled artists until the whole of the cultural sector does. In its first year of becoming an independent organisation, Unlimited are doing things differently to dismantle barriers disabled artists face and to support systemic and sustainable change.
SPAN Arts is one of 16 UK organisations partnering with Unlimited to offer 20 awards to disabled artists. These awards offer a grand total of £584,000 to commission artists on a national and international level. The awards give disabled artists the chance to develop and present work across the country and/or internationally across rural and city locations, with a partner organisation for digital or in person, collective or individual experiences.
Cathy Davies, Chair, Span Arts: “We in SPAN Arts are very excited to be partnering with Unlimited on this joint commission. As a community arts charity, we are passionate about Art as Social Change. We work in a predominantly rural area of Wales with little traditional arts infrastructure and aim to co-create work which both resonates locally and has relevance and potential for being toured outside of Pembrokeshire. Through this partnership with Unlimited, we feel we can showcase the diversity of talent within west Wales and bring new ideas and perspectives to how we co-commission work with and in our community.”
The SPAN Arts Unlimited commission has been awarded to actor, writer and founder of Popty Ping Productions theatre company, Ceri Ashe to create Farmers Townie and Grockles, a new 90 minute bilingual verbatim play that explores what it means to be a resident of Pembrokeshire. A show that tells the broad tapestry of narratives of the Pembrokeshire people. From farmers, teachers, and council workers to young people living in social housing – a West Walkman mix of voices that asks, what does being a part of this rural community mean?
The new play is in development with the community through 2022 and will premier in north and south Pembrokeshire in March 2024.
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Unlimited commission extraordinary work by disabled artists that is rebellious, radical, adventurous, inspiring, and playful. They believe in the power of disabled artists’ work to spark radical and positive change. Previous commissions have varied in artform and scale, ranging from debut albums, cookbooks, art installations, an interactive multimedia comic book, art set in swimming pools, dance, forest symphonies, theatre and much more.
All the information on the award can be found here.