Creative Minds was started in 2013 by a group of learning disabled artists and performers who felt that their work was not being taken seriously.
They organised an event at Brighton Dome bringing together arts organisations, venues and producers, universities and colleges and arts critics and many other learning disabled artists and performers. They wanted to look at how they could improve their relationship with the wider arts world.
Since then there have been two other conferences in Bristol (2014) and Ipswich (2015). We are now planning conferences in Manchester and Birmingham along with smaller events in other parts of the country. Creative Minds has had an active role in a number of other conferences and seminars. Additionally we have a team of learning disabled writers who review performances and exhibitions of work by disabled and non-disabled companies, artists and performers. We have also started a research project with Goldsmiths University’s Disability Research Centre.
Our last conference in Ipswich on October 2015 was attended by:
- 71 learning disabled artists, performers and film makers
- 39 people from UK arts organisations
- 4 people from overseas arts organisations
- 16 venue programmers
- 5 university academics
- 14 theatre students
- 7 dance students
- 5 art critics
- 3 arts funders
- 5 people from local authorities
- 4 people from other learning disability organisations
