Connections Through Culture: India-Wales is a grant scheme by the British Council supported by Wales Arts International/Arts Council of Wales to develop co-created projects between artists, arts organisations and festivals in both India and Wales.
The scheme is designed to embed creative skills and develop capacity for artists and festivals in both India and Wales, and to develop long-lasting relationships between these regions. Celebrating the diverse cultural expression in both regions, grantees from Wales and India benefit from the inspiration gained from exchanging ideas and sharing their cultural history.
Deaf performer and creative consultant, Jonny Cotsen based in Wales and arts accessibility consultancy Access For ALL based in India will collaborate to develop a digital artists’ residency for artists with disabilities Manifesto For Accessible Art (MAAF) where accessibility is at the apex of planning an all-inclusive arts festival celebrating artists and audiences with disabilities.
The aim is to move away from ableism in the art world, which is often led by non-disabled persons for the people with disabilities, and to empower those with varied abilities.
This collaborative bipartite project focuses on a digital artists’ residency for six artists with disabilities from both countries. Together they will create a toolkit about the complex issues around scouting disabled talent, provide a platform and representation of artists with disabilities, and design accessible spaces (physical and digital) for audiences with disabilities. There will also be an outreach program to create awareness for key stakeholders.
