As different restrictions are put in place across the United Kingdom, BBC Arts continues its Culture in Quarantine initiative, which aims to keep the arts in the homes of the public during lockdown and support artists at a difficult time with the launch of a new commissioning opportunity to celebrate the work of disabled artists. The strand has been established in partnership between BBC Arts, Arts Council England, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Arts Council of Wales and Creative Scotland and forms part of the wider disability season across the BBC, which marks the 25th anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act, supporting disabled artists across England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland to produce new works that will be hosted across BBC platforms.
D/deaf, neurodivergent and disabled professional artists will be invited to apply to produce new video or audio works. The fund aims to commission ten new works, with support from digital production specialists.
The new commissioning programme marks the 25th anniversary of the passing of the Disability Discrimination Act into law on 8th November 1995. The strand of programming is designed to help artists produce work at such a challenging time for the arts, and when some may be self-isolating, recognising that some disabled people are regarded by health professionals as being ‘vulnerable’ to the medical conditions associated with Covid-19. Artists can - but do not have to - create work that responds to the disabled experience of living through the pandemic. The commissioning strand will also work with the UK Disability Arts Alliance which amplifies the voices of D/deaf, neurodivergent and disabled creative practitioners and disability arts organisations.
This new commissioning opportunity builds on the success of BBC Arts Culture in Quarantine artists’ commissioning strand, launched in April 2020 by BBC Arts and Arts Council England, which invited artists to give a creative response to the challenges of lockdown. A total of 25 commissions were produced, which achieved audiences in the millions across BBC and social platforms.
Jonty Claypole, Director BBC Arts commented:
“The Disability Discrimination Act of 1995 is one of the most important civil rights landmarks in British history. To mark this important anniversary, the BBC’s Culture in Quarantine initiative is joining with Arts Council England, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Arts Council of Wales and Creative Scotland to commission a range of film and audio projects that celebrate the talent of D/deaf, neurodivergent and disabled professional artists today. This is more important than ever in the age of Covid-19 when the need for extreme shielding threatens to silence many disabled artists who would otherwise be producing work for galleries, stages and other platforms around the UK.”
Diane Hebb, Director of Arts Engagement, Arts Council of Wales said:
“These commissions are the kind of positive actions we need to take to address the inequality of opportunity disabled people face when engaging with the arts as artists or members of the audience. Our support, alongside that of partners, will enable artists in Wales create work that reflects and celebrates their lived experience and reaches and inspires audiences far and wide.”
Commissions will be selected by a panel including representatives from BBC Arts, Arts Council England, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Arts Council of Wales, Creative Scotland and the UK Disability Arts Alliance. It is expected that the works will be produced between March 2021 and June 2021, airing on BBC platforms later in 2021.
The programme will be managed by digital support agency The Space in partnership with Unlimited, an arts commissioning programme that enables new work by disabled artists to reach UK and international audiences.