In recent years, The United Kingdom has made leaps of progression for increasing diversity in theatre. Venues and festivals across the country offer a variety of performances with actors with disabilities that are accessible to disabled audience members. With sign language, relaxed performances and audio description, as a matter of policy, British theatres more often include shows accessible for all.

As one of the only fully English-language theatres in the Netherlands, STET aims to inspire Dutch companies, performers and drama schools into adopting more policies to include performers and audiences of all abilities. Therefore, we have founded our STET No Limits series, with first up: this symposium. How accessible are Dutch theatres currently? And could we learn from the UK?

With a panel of Dutch and British performers, policy makers and experts, we discuss the current state of the industry. With in-depth discussions on intersectionality, education and how British policies may inspire us to normalize accessibility for all performers and audiences in our theatres. 

The symposium will be completely spoken in English and a Dutch sign language interpreter will be present. You can visit the event live or watch our livestream.

Start: 15:00 in the Netherlands. For those joining the livestream: this is 2 PM UK time! Find the Dutch time schedule below.

Programme

15.00 – Opening by deputy British ambassador Lucy Ferguson 
15.15 – Excerpt from Louder Is Not Always Clearer by Jonny Cotsen
15.40 – Intermission
16.00 – Keynote by Robert Softley Gale
16.10 – Panel
17.15 – End: Presentation of The Agenda Inclusive Performing Arts

 

Moderator: Funda Müjde (NL)

Keynote speaker: Robert Softley-Gale (UK, Birds of Paradise)

Performance: An excerpt of Louder is not Always Clearer by Jonny Cotsen (UK)

Panel: Miss Jacqui (UK, Spokenword performer), Paul Röttger (NL, Theater Babel), Paloma Oakenfold and Zara Jayne Arnold (UK, BareFace Collective), Willemijn Haasken (NL, HNTonbeperkt), Vincent Bendervoet & Carolien van Heijst (NL, Bender & Heijst), Claudia Marinelli (NL, LKCA)