Midway Report

Over the past nine months the Intersectional Identities|Hunaniaethau Croestoriadol project has built a collaborative partner relationship, explored intersectional processes, facilitated a collaborative creation, and contracted 29 freelance artists.

Building a Healthy Collaborative Partnership

Lasting change takes time and purposeful, consistent effort. As partners we not only want to ensure we impact the communities we connect with and the arts and culture sectors but, just as important, we want to impact ourselves and our organisations/networks.

We began this project with Partner Planning meetings to come together to develop a Collaborative Agreement, timeline, and to solidify our shared values for how we will work as a partnership team. One decision we made at the start of the project was to offer every contracted freelancer the option of sharing an Access Rider. An Access Rider is a document that outlines a disabled person’s access requirements to bring greater equity into our spaces. This document allows the project/organisation the time to make adjustments and to bring understanding to different needs and ways of working. As an appendix to the letter of engagement, each freelancer contracted on the project was given the option to supply the team with an Access Rider. We ensured to offer links with ideas on how to write an Access Rider to support those who have never written one before.

While we decided to ensure every contracted freelancer is offered the opportunity to send an Access Rider along with their contract, we also wanted to establish a clear outline for how we would work as a team of partners. As partners representing the arts as well as cultural sectors, we wanted to ensure we were developing a shared language in our meetings that enabled learning to benefit all of us. As a means of establishing a productive and healthy collaborative partnership, Tove Hubbard (representing the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) developed a document based on what we each shared at our second partner meeting about the environments in which we work best. At each partner meeting we have devoted time to collaboratively writing our Ways of Working document with Tove leading the discussion. The co-creation of this document became a far more valuable tool in instigating conversations surrounding intersectionality, inclusion and equity than we first thought. We will continue to use this to spur conversation and change within each of us.

Exploring Intersectional Processes - Whimsy Development

In August 2021, Matthew Gough directed the multilingual/multicultural development of ‘Whimsy’. The main purpose of this development time was to explore how we ensure the process of developing and creating work is not only multilingual but that it maintains the details of the culture in which the language derives.

Something that came up during the rehearsal process was the importance of ensuring there is a clear understanding of how Access Riders are implemented once being received. While any logistical access requirements will be organised by the producer (ie BSL/ENG interpretation), the person responsible for holding the space (director or equivalent) should be made aware of the access requirements of those within the space. It is their responsibility, along with the Stage Manager, to ensure that all reasonable adjustments are made within the rehearsal period. 

This exploration period allowed us time to discuss and question instead of feeling rushed to have completed a finished product. Take a look at the outcome of the development of Whimsy here.

Before the community engagement Events in July, ‘Whimsy’ will undergo a rehearsal period to add more dance to the work, creative captions, and to ensure there is a version of the show in Welsh and British Sign Language to be performed at the National Eisteddfod.

Creative Collaborations

Throughout this project, we are facilitating two creative collaborations with existing groups – Taking Flight Youth Theatre and Deaf Hub’s Sunday Sign School.

The first of these took place in November 2021 when partners Krystal S. Lowe and Guy O’Donnell (NDCW) facilitated movement sessions with Taking Flight Youth Theatre. Originally, this work would have been facilitated by freelance Movement Practitioners, however, as a Partner Team we felt we wanted to give far more time to the recruitment process so partners facilitated this work instead. The Sunday Sign School collaboration will be facilitated in July by the freelance Movement Practitioners.

Recruitment Processes

In our original timeline, we were going to recruit for further project roles in September 2021, however, we decided to extend this period to give us the space and time to properly explore innovation in the recruitment process and allow more time for a wider range of people to see and respond to the roles.

In January 2022, we contracted seven freelance roles: 2 Co-Critical Evaluators and 5 Freelance Recruiters.

Co-Critical Evaluators: Originally, we were going to contract one Critical Evaluator, however, after seeing so many strong applications, we decided to engage two people to share the role. Each Critical Evaluator brings something very different and very valuable to the role; together, they are an even stronger evaluation team - sharing their strengths with each other.

Freelance Recruiters: In an effort to explore new and innovative ways of recruiting, we recruited 5 Freelance Recruiters – people who already have a track record of innovative practice and have a passion for doing things differently and challenging the norm. Through their work we will learn and develop our own practices and ensure to recruit differently for the project roles: Movement Practitioners and Cultural Conversation Facilitators. The Freelance Recruiters have been instrumental in ensuring a far more diverse range of applicants. This proves not that every organisation needs to budget for a team of Freelance Recruiters, but that if every organisation has a far more representative and community-connected team of people then recruitments will resemble this immediately. Most of the recruitment for the Cultural Conversation Facilitator roles was done through word of mouth and not traditional, wide-spread, advertisements. Authentic community connections have been key to this work being successful.

Individual Partner Contributions

Deaf Hub Wales

Contribution in British Sign Language, English below.

“It has been valuable to work closely with people and groups outside of my ‘Deaf bubble’ and learn about the issues facing each and every project partner. I’ve connected strongly with the cultural conversations and also with the Welsh language and cultural history, seeing parallels with Deaf history and culture. Deaf Hub Wales is very white so the trustees are looking to expand diversity of the board the right way; each trustee has a responsibility to set up an awareness day to think outside their own culture and protected characteristics. The project is helping us to move forward this process.”

Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru

“The process has been beneficial in providing a platform for the cultural conversations,  a part of the project that I have found particularly interesting and beneficial. It has allowed us to share experiences and through that to understand and learn. That learning has also provided confidence and moving forward, we shall implement some of that learning in our programming and planning.”  

Krystal S. Lowe

“Each Partner Meeting has offered vibrant, in-depth discussion in a very open and humble way. I feel connected as a partner team and feel Tove leading on the Ways of Working document has been integral to this healthy relationship between us as partners. This strong collaborative relationship has allowed every aspect of the project to be birthed from our shared desires, shared objectives, and most importantly, our shared development and understanding as people. As a facilitator on the Taking Flight Youth Theatre Creative Collaboration, I was able to learn from the existing team there and understand better how to lead movement sessions for Deaf participants. Most recently, attending the Cor Dydd, Welsh Choir, as a part of the Cultural Conversations, was an incredible time to listen to the Welsh language being sung and discuss with choir members what they want from arts and culture. Visit krystalslowe.com/writer-ksl/a-sharing-of-learning for more information on my learning through this project.”

National Dance Company Wales

“Improving Access to dance both for audiences, participants and staff is a key strategic aim for National Dance Company Wales. Being part of this project is very helpful for us in our learning, as to how best to achieve this aim.

Attending the Partnership meetings is an excellent way to share good practice and really get to know more about the challenges we face in broadening access to cultural provision.

The meetings are also a safe space to have difficult conversations, these opportunities are unique in my experience.

NDCWales staff recently paid for Taking Flight to deliver Deaf Awareness Training this comes from a recommendation from being part of this project.”

Taking Flight Theatre Company

“This project has inspired us to make changes in the company:

•        Welsh Language - Our journey into working in Welsh Language has been slow and is still being developed.  This year has seen it move really fast since we produced ‘fow’ and we have now translated our outdoor app based/ hybrid adventure into Welsh which is touring this Summer. We are working with Mannon Steffan Ross on creating a new version of our bilingual (ENG/BSL) show ‘You’ve Got Dragons’ which will be performed in BSL and Welsh in 2023 (funding pending).

•         Training - Taking Flight staff have had Unconscious Bias and Anti–Racism training.  

•         We have always worked bilingually in English and BSL and we are now all learning Welsh, this is to compliment a trilingual way of working which we have been working towards since 2019 -  Steph is currently training to be a BSL translator and Garrin and Louise are studying BSL level 2, Elise continues her Level 6 journey.  

•         CPD - After feedback from Matthew on the process with Whimsy re: access Riders TF have re-assessed their Access Rider/ contract policy and will continue to develop this. Steph worked on Whimsy over the Summer and helped to put the team in touch with Deaf performers – feedback on this process from Matthew has proved useful to implement into our processes.

•        Steph is working with Deaf Hub to deliver Deaf awareness training – this will feed into Steph’s own practice.

•        Fabulous to strengthen the relationship with Deaf Hub.

•        Gorgeous conversations with RSPB about future collaborations, Jo and Tove have been so generous in their support.

•         Actively seeking to make meaningful connections and relationships with a more diverse pool of Deaf and disabled collaborators. Providing positive role models.

•        This project has made us aware of our own lived experience, our own ignorance and allowed us to identify the gaps in our knowledge in order to seek change.”

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Cymru: Giving Nature a Home in Cardiff

•       “We supported early partner discussions by setting up a ‘ways of working’ document that could be used to capture how we would work together as a partnership. Our discussions around this document have allowed us to learn from each other and explore complex topics (e.g. the links between language & identity) relevant to the project, and RSPB Cymru would like to use a similar format to open up discussions with new partners in the future.

•       Meeting organisations and developing relationships, reflecting that genuine relationship-building and co-production process cannot be rushed and takes more time than the typical way we tend to work in partnerships, which is very driven by a particular outcome. This reflects our willingness to learn and adapt to remain true to project and moral principles.

•       The opportunity to work with organisations on a project that RSPB wouldn’t usually be involved in. And using the shared learning and understandings to co-produce an engaging nature-based workshop that supports the performance and its messages, and its audiences in connecting to nature.

•       The safe space created within these meetings, the openness and honesty met with open ears and understanding.  Something we are keen to reflect in future team meetings and within wider organisational meetings.

•       Exploring ways of being more inclusive, promoting diversity and making equality a priority (Access Riders, different interpreters – both BSL and Welsh, Ways of Working document, BSL badge and looking forward to creating a nature-based activity in BSL). We have also been practicing the terms we have been learning in Welsh and BSL at the start of other internal RSPB team meetings as well as pursuing independent learning opportunities, and are looking forward to participating in the cultural conversations and future Deaf Awareness training.”

What’s Next for Intersectional Identities|Hunaniaethau Croestoriadol?

●      Cultural Conversations - We have identified three community groups in which we’ll connect and develop relationships with over the course of this project but also going forward after this project has ended: Cor Dydd (Welsh Language Choir), Deaf Hub’s Coffee Morning, and Butetown Arts and Cultural Association will facilitate a photography session using RSPB green spaces in the city of Cardiff.

The Cultural Conversations will take place in three parts:

        Part 1: Partners will attend and take part in community group activities. Genuinely getting to know the members and allowing the members to get to know them.

        Part 2: Freelance Conversation Facilitators will facilitate informal discussions exploring the question ‘What do I want from arts and culture?’

        Part 3: We will bring all three community groups together for a creative gathering exploring these discussions further with the Conversation Facilitators leading the discussions.

●      Community Engagement Events – On July 30th and 31st we will host outdoor community engagement events. Based on the feedback we receive from the Cultural Conversations, these events will bring communities together to engage in arts and cultural activities. During these events, Whimsy will be performed both bilingually and multilingually, the RSPB will facilitate nature workshops, and the freelance Movement Practitioners will lead multilingual movement through nature workshops with families. Throughout the next few months we will explore, through the Cultural Conversations, the format of these events.

●      Sector Sharing - On October 18th 2022, we will host a half-day sector sharing event in order to share greater details of what we explored, experienced, and learned. Our plan is for this event to be hosted multilingually both in-person and live streamed.

Partners have already begun to implement this work into their personal and professional lives and we expect much more of this to come.

Please feel free to contact project partners if you have any questions or feedback.

Cofion Cynnes,

Intersectional Identities|Hunaniaethau Croestoriadol Partner Team

Deaf Hub Wales, Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru, Krystal S. Lowe, National Dance Company Wales, Taking Flight Theatre Company, and The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Cymru: Giving Nature a Home in the City.

Intersectional Identities | Hunaniaethau Croestoriadol has been funded by Arts Council Wales, Welsh Government, and The National Dance Foundation of Bermuda.