4 thoughts on “Lyn Gardner on quality – the chicken & egg situation”

1. Dark Horse tours nationally with integrated work and has an ensemble of professional learning disabled actors- we’ve played to full houses- general audiences- in mainstream venues and received assiduous and often positive critical reviews from national press (Written on the basis of the work just being work rather than being ‘learning disability theatre’ as this is the way we’ve chosen to market and promote ourselves). We also train actors following the drama school model. Mind The Gap also tours very successfully at professional level. A response from Dark Horse to Lyn’s comments- and its a very good thing that she made them and attended the event- will soon be published- it’s clear that there’s a lot of confusion within the sector and beyond it about what professional theatre is and it’s time for all of our sakes that some clear statements are made before the ‘quality’ debate (And actually there really is no debate to be had) becomes an excuse to knock the idea of professional integrated theatre back into the stone age.

   Reply

   • I’m not sure why you say there is no debate to be had about quality. There clearly is and it has to be led by the voice of learning disabled creatives. It’s exciting to hear people talk deeply about their work in new and empowering ways. Can you facilitate your learning disabled performers to comment on this page, please? I would prefer to hear what they say. Why are you using “inverted comas” around descriptions of labels that some people use? It’s very patronising. Shouldn’t we be focussing on joining up together to give a higher profile to the work, rather than talking as if there were a way of making creative work that was better than another? We all work differently, that’s the beauty of what we do. We really should be advocating for one another’s achievements, shouldn’t we? Surely that’s the way we change opinion? Together?

     Reply

2. Lyn Gardner makes some very strong and useful comments in her blog about the Bristol Creative Minds conference. Though she does admit to a limited knowledge of the learning disability arts scene in the UK. We still need to really talk about what quality means and what the barriers facing learning disabled performers and artists are. That is both for those who are already making great work and those who wish to do so. And we need people like Lyn Gardner not only to come to Creative Minds events but to actively take part in the debate.

   Reply

   • I totally agree with you Gus, I am discovering new and exciting talent constantly in the South West. Just yesterday I attended an event in Exeter run by CEDA Rhythms that showcased a diverse range of talent from people with a wide range of experience and abilities. I believe what really needs to start to happen more often is performances/gigs/shows by differently abled artists being marketed and talked about in the same way as mainstream shows are so that audiences attend with the quality and talent in the forefront of their mind rather than the disability.

     Reply