Forward Together

An afternoon of access, inclusion and action. Join Art with Heart, The Lowry and leading access experts and creatives for a choc-a-bloc afternoon of listening, sharing and plenty of biscuits! In an inclusive space, we welcome you to workshops focused on access for makers and casting, 1-1 sessions supporting fundraising and producing and a lived-experience panel offering access top-tips–including learning how to embed access into funding applications.
Learn more about different perspectives of access and inclusion across different roles and areas in the arts. Meet people who have accommodated accessibility within their work and want to share how they’ve done it. Join a likeminded community of people who can see that within the arts industry, we must do better. Every part of this event will be action focused, and we hope to leave you with plenty to implement in your own practice.

You can read more in the agenda below and we're also offering 1-1 slots in producing and fundraising, bookable by email.

As Forward Together is an access-led day, we want to make sure your requirements are accommodated. If there’s anything we can do to make your day easier that isn’t included below, please email [email protected]

BSL Interpretation: We will provide BSL-English interpreters for the day and if you need one for a 1-1 session, please let us know along with access requirements when you book.

Financial: This event is free to access. If you require financial support with accessing travel for health/safety reasons or otherwise please email [email protected]

Physical Access info:

The spaces are physically accessible via stairs or lift. There is a Changing Rooms toilet in The Lowry. There is a prayer room at The Lowry. . Follow this link to The Lowry's acess page where you can find more detailed information including a Visual Guide to familiarise yourself with the building. One of the studio spaces has mirrors which cannot be covered - if this impacts you and you'd like us to reserve you a specific seat please email [email protected]. There may be security bag checks at the entrance, if you are concerned about this or would like someone to meet you at the entrance please email [email protected].

Booking support: If you need help booking your place, you can email [email protected] and she will book a place for you

Registering form: The details that you send on the booking form are kept confidential inline with GDPR and help us ensure that this workshop is reaching the right people

Other: If you have another access requirement not listed here, please email us on [email protected]

Filming and photography: Please note we will be capturing video and photographs during the event. If you would prefer that your image isn't used, you can either identify yourself to the photographer Joe, or you can pick up a lanyard so that Joe can identify you and ensure your image isn't used.

Throughout the day we will be running 1-1s, which will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Please email us at [email protected] with your name, the person you’d like to speak to (Sarah/Antonia/Either), your time preference and a sentence describing what you would like to discuss.

2.10pm-2.30pm:

2.35pm-2.55pm:

3pm-3.20pm:

3.25-3.45pm:

1-1slots for practical tips and advice on fundraising. Sarah is Art with Heart’s lead fundraiser and has over a decade of experience in arts fundraising. 1-1 sessions are bursts of support for problem solving with fundraising, whether that’s grant funding, crowdfunding or commercial support!

1-1 slots for practical tips on producing and fundraising. Antonia is the Lowry’s Artist Development Senior Producer, working closely with artists to realise their creative vision. Come along with questions and problems that need solving and she’ll be happy to help!

Drop in with Kate Charnock

Drop in and chat to Kate in the James Dunn Classroom as she is here to to meet artists who would have an interest in working alongside the people of Eccles and explore the ways creativity could be used to encourage and enable pride in the town as it is today and the future.

https://www.ashtronomy.co.uk/

Ash Cox (they/she) is an artist and access consultant, focusing on work that is reflective of their lived experience being a disabled, queer, working class space geek.

Access and disability justice are a huge part of their personal and professional identity and they're interested in the intersection of live performance, science and access and how provisions can be integrated creatively from the beginning processes to enrich how people experience making and interacting with art.

Fereshteh Mozaffari is a writer and the founder and Artistic Director of Sheba Arts. With a background in political journalism in her home country, Fereshteh started a new life in the UK as an artist. She has produced festivals and arts projects with different migrant and refugee communities across Greater Manchester.

Katie is a Deaf actor who uses both spoken English and British Sign Language. Katie works as a captioning and access consultant, and is currently part of an ongoing Artist Panel with Vital Xposure. Credits include Richard III (Shakespeare's Globe), Wind in the Willows (Shakespeare North Playhouse), Julius Caesar (Royal Shakespeare Company), The Gruffalo (Tall Stories), The Solid Life of Sugar Water (The Orange Tree Theatre), Doctors (BBC), The Book Eaters (Audiobook).

Keisha Thompson FRSA is a Manchester based writer, performance artist and producer. She is Co-Chair of the Independent Theatre Council, a trustee of Olympias Music Foundation and recipient of the DARE Art Prize 2024 from Opera North and the University of Leeds in association with National Science and Media Museum and The Tetley.

Rachel is Co-Creative Director of Art with Heart. A theatre maker, director, producer and facilitator, Rachel worked with a number of leading cultural organisations including South Bank Centre, Royal Exchange Theatre and Manchester International Festival. They started their career working in Audience Development at Contact Theatre and was later a recipient of the ‘Edinburgh Festival Fringe Producers Bursary Programme’. They co-produced alternative cabaret night Pen:Chant with Ben Mellor and co-founded Lost & Found, a pop-up performance festival in Manchester.

Sarah Emmott is the Co-Creative Director of Art with Heart with nearly 20 years of experience as a producer, writer, performer and facilitator. She is the lead fundraiser for Art with Heart and has gained funding from from public, private and crowd sourced funding sources. As a neurodivergent, working class, queer woman, Sarah brings her own lived experience to the work she does and is passionate about the grant funding process being more accessible.

Sarah Leung is a full member of BAFTA and was chosen to be on the BAFTA Jury for Casting 2024, for the BAFTA Film Awards. Sarah is also a full member of the CDG. Born in Manchester, coming from a mixed British/Chinese background, making her one of the only casting directors in the UK with Chinese heritage. She started her career in film, working with the producers on "Batman Begins". For Warner bros. From here, Sarah went straight into casting, Sarah is well known for casting a diverse range of talent in Film, TV, Theatre. Sarah cast 3 shows last year which were all nominated for Theatre and What’s On Stage awards. So far this year, Sarah has completed casting on 2 UK musicals, and now casting 3 feature films, working with directors Joe Johnston (Captain America), Sara Sugarman (Save The Cinema), Simeon Halligan (Grimfest Films).

Kate works in Salford City Council’s Regeneration team, predominantly in Eccles. With a background is in arts and heritage, Kate’s role is to make sure the community is at the heart of decision-making about what the future of Eccles will look like. Predominantly using creativity as a way of building relationships between the council and communities; between the communities themselves; and with the place itself.

Over the last year Kate has developed an art trail, photography project to create work in the public realm, a week-long light event, and currently artwork is being made to wrap the hoarding boards around the forthcoming demolition site in the town centre. So far hundreds of people have been engaged in projects and the aim is to continue building on this.

Forward Together has been made possible by the generous support of the GMCA. The event is supported by a grant through Salford CVS in partnership with Salford Council to deliver a new creative commission funded through the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund via the GMCA. This is a partnership project with Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy. The event has been made possible due to support from Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy’s Networks Funding Programme.

Host or Publisher Art with Heart