British Expert Consults & Trains to Support Inclusive Art
The British Council, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, invited Tim Wheeler, inclusive art and festival expert, to Tbilisi. The visit comprises two components: On 5-6 November, the expert will hold consultancy meetings with the representatives of the Ministry, disabled performers/artists and persons involved in the arts sector. On 8-10 November, Wheeler will deliver a training on project proposal writing, planning, delivery, and evaluation.
Tim Wheeler is a freelance arts consultant, teacher and performance maker. He is a former artistic director and co-founder of Mind the Gap theater company, Bradford, with 30+ years’ experience devising, managing and leading 18 national touring and site-specific productions and 100+ arts projects and educational programs.
Within the consultancy meetings Wheeler will elaborate recommendations for Georgia to achieve a high level of engagement of disabled people in the inclusive arts. He will suggest ideas as to how to improve the quality of their work and promote easy access to arts products and arts spaces for disabled people. The British Expert will meet representatives of cultural institutions and individuals interested in inclusive arts and most importantly the representatives of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia.
On 8-10 November, a three-day training component will be devoted to project proposal writing, planning, delivery and evaluation for the disability arts sector. This training will help managers and individuals engaged in Inclusive/Integrated Arts to develop their professional skills in project writing, planning, delivery and evaluation. Training participants will
• Discuss sample project proposal and evaluation
• Set up clear project ideas
• Learn about the importance of advanced planning and timeframe
• Get familiar with the distribution of roles and responsibilities
• Discuss budget components and calculations
• Find out the importance of marketing planning and promotion
• Discuss the Risk Assessment
• Discuss Importance evaluating feedback received from project participants, sponsors and general audience.
Tim Wheeler’s visit is part of the British Council’s ‘Unlimited: Making the Right Steps’ Program. The aim of the program is to support the promotion and development of inclusive arts by sharing the UK experience involving people with disabilities in the arts and in the creation of an accessible environment for them. Its activities help disabled and non-disabled artists to gain the necessary skills, cooperate in an integrated environment and develop new relations. Both components of Tim Wheeler’s visit are expected to significantly support the inclusive arts sector in Georgia to develop the sector and improve skills.
By Katie Ruth Davies