FEATURE
OPEN ROAD PROJECT
THROUGH COLLABORATION AND CO-OPERATION
O
pen Road is an Arts Council England National Activities project, led by the New Carnival Company (NCC) from the Isle of Wight. NCC works with other national carnival organisations and universities that run event management courses to try to identify and remove barriers to participation in Carnival for deaf and disabled people. Open Road uses the social model of disability, which describes people as being disabled by barriers in society, not by their impairment or difference. Those barriers can be physical, such as buildings that lack accessible toilets, or they can be caused by people’s attitudes to difference – for example, assumptions that disabled people can’t do certain things. The NCC, Artshape, Callalloo Carnival Arts, EMCCAN and City Arts Nottingham have been working with disabled artists and carnival practitioners to identify some of the barriers that 14 SN MAR 2022
are commonly found within the carnival sector. Through collaboration and co-operation, the project partners have developed and tested new work and are ready to share progress, make suggestions and offer practical tips to enable wider access and inclusion. The one-day Open Road carnival conferences in Southampton (8 March), Huddersfield (12 March) and Nottingham (26 March) are hosted by each partner on its home turf to enable the work to be shared with a wider audience. The three conferences have a common structure and goal, but will incorporate appropriate regional programming. Each will include a range of guest presenters, visiting artists and a live showcase of disability-led carnival arts. Regional keynote speakers include Arthur France MBE, Paul Davies MBE (Rio Carnival) and Sarah Pickthall Cusp Inc. Bookings are open for tickets both live and online; email: katy@thenewcarnivalcompany.com.
