'Time to Act' is a research report written by “On The Move” and commissioned by the British Council as part of the 4-year Europe Beyond Access, the EU cooperative programme, supporting artists with disabilities to break glass ceilings in the theatre and contemporary dance scene.
Covering over 42 countries, the 'Time to Act' report provides the first cross-national evidence that lack of knowledge in the traditional cultural sector is a major barrier preventing artists and arts professionals with disabilities from participating equally in this sector.
The lecture which bears the same title "Time to Act" is the opportunity to present the results of this research and how we can explore together adapted approaches to the inclusion of people with disabilities in the arts sector.
Through this exciting collaboration with the Algeria International Contemporary Dance Festival, Unlimited, we aspire to take a first step towards building a more equitable society. Cat Sheridan, Senior Producer with Unlimited, and Web Neil, Theatre and Dance Director with the British Council, will be sharing critical analysis of our own work in the field of disability inclusion in the performing arts. The British Council will also introduce contemporary dance teaching methods to deaf through a workshop for Algerian dance trainers with Billy Read. The public will enjoy a riveting show performed by Cog in the Wheel, a group talented dancer from the UK.
Friday, March 10, 2023
“Time to Act” lecture by Ms. Cat Sheridan and Mr. Neil Webb
Venue: Algiers Opera House at 10:30 am
The lecture will expose the process and the methodology for commissioning disable artists projects and the results of a decade of partnership between the British Council and Unlimited in UK, Europe and beyond. Intending to institutions and decisions makers on art and culture sector, the latter will open to considering future collaboration with Algeria Art and Culture sector.
Friday, March 10, 2023
Performance “Cog in the Wheel”
Venue: Algiers Opera House at 6:30 pm
Cog in the wheel is a street dance performance conceptualised by self-taught dancer, and teacher Billy Read. The piece is choreographed & performed by Def Motion, a mixture of deaf and hearing dancers. This is a work in progress, designed to tour outdoor festivals and events.
Cog in the Wheel explores themes of living in a capitalist society, the rise of communication technology and our perceived self-worth. The dancers are not characters with stories and personalities but are gears in a machine. They are a means to creating a product that can generate revenue.
Performers: Warren Hugh Murray, Kameel Adam Williams-Myrie, Ben Craig Randall and the lead artist Billy Read.
Performers : Jason Michael Drew Read, Rachael Tamon Veazey, Warren Hugh Murray, Kameel Adam Williams-Myrie and Ben Craig Randall
Ticket:DZD800
Saturday, March 11, 2023
Workshop “Creating an Inclusive Dance Environment”, led by Mr. Billy Read
Venue: Algiers Opera House from 9:00 to 12:00 pm
Billy and the team will lead a 3-hour workshop to explore how to make dance workshops a safe space for students with different abilities. Included in the workshop will be some access questions to consider when organising workshops and how to make sure all feel included in the activities. The team hope to bring some of the accessible technology they use with Deaf students for workshop participants to try. The team will discuss experiences of working in groups with different disabilities, with a focus on Deaf and hard of hearing students.
The workshop will be a mixture of practical tasks and experiential learning and opportunities for discussion and questions.
About Algeria International Contemporary Dance Festival
The International Cultural Festival of Contemporary Dance (FCIDC) is an international cultural event, instituted by the Ministry of Culture and Arts since 2009. Human and universal in scope, the festival aims to connect peoples from the world four corners and give them a space for exchange, sharing and intercultural dialogue through Contemporary Dance.
The festival was institutionalized in 2009, a year that saw the organization of the 2nd Pan-African Cultural Festival. Since then, this event has brought together internationally renowned Algerian and foreign contemporary dance troupes and companions, quality choreographers and researchers.
Over the years, the festival has matured and has become an unmissable international event. The International Cultural Festival of Contemporary Dance (FCIDC) aims to promote Algerian contemporary dance both nationally and internationally, working for the development and enrichment of this art through all means of dissemination and exchange. experiences between artists. It aims to be a vector for the international propagation of our national cultural heritage and its enhancement.
About Unlimited
Unlimited Organization advocate for disabled artists and disabled-led work inclusion in the cultural sector. Unlimited aims to commission extraordinary work from disabled artists until the whole of the cultural sector does. By showcasing and supporting the amazing breadth and quality of work by disabled artists, they intend to open doors for disabled artists to work with other organisations, too.
About the British Council
We find new ways of connecting with and understanding each other through the arts, building creative and collaborative global communities that inspire innovation, knowledge, prosperity and peace. The connections we build through arts and culture transform lives and create positive change.
https://www.britishcouncil.org/arts