The Paralympic Games offered a platform to profile disabled athletes at a level that had never been seen before. Public attitudes were noticeably shifted, along with the sort of media attention which moved us from “tragic and brave” towards genuine discussion about sporting talent.
There was also a spotlight on creative talent, through the Cultural Olympiad events along with the spectacular opening ceremony for the Paralympic Games. The future looked bright. So where are we now? It seems there may have been a reversion of focus. Very many disabled people have real concerns and fears. So how can we continue the positive sea change in attitudes towards disabled people, that we witnessed during Games time, as well as providing real access to opportunities for disabled people to develop career pathways within the creative and cultural industries?
The Accentuate Symposium on 5th July at the Sallis Benney Theatre, Brighton, will bring together key academics, cultural leaders and disabled people to provide a platform to spark this discussion. A panel debate will be followed by three seminar sessions exploring Disability Heritage and the Built Environment, Artists working in the Public Realm and Disabled Young People Building Resilience. There will also be opportunities for people to take part in the debate through live screening and Twitter feeds, and we will be premiering a short animated lecture by Dr Tom Shakespeare.