SHAPE 2017 TateExchange Book FINAL Draft - Flipbook - Page 25
access through his support of the involvement of blind and partially sighted
professionals and the valuable contribution they bring to the table.
In our busy work lives, it’s easy to forget these fabulous resources that are
there to inspire us. Instead, we think we need to try something different.
But we don’t need to work that hard, we just need to have a go; we need
to play and put our own twist on things; we need to encourage colleagues
and audiences to go beyond the literal experience to the imagined one. You
don’t have to lose the integrity behind the art or the history. This can be
incorporated or explored either in different sessions or alongside. We must
not be afraid to take risks or make mistakes and involve blind and partially
sighted people as equal partners within this process.
So what have I done? My background is in performance storytelling and
drama. In recent years I’ve also been working as a project manager in heritage
settings. I understand the importance of combining practical access with
interpretation or creative interventions. I enjoy weaving traditional stories
and songs into object handling sessions, encouraging others to make their
own stories in response – an object can be anything! I try to find stories that
I can use to highlight relevant information. Drama and life experience will
often find their way into my sessions too. I’m experienced in helping others
to develop creative trails and to ‘play’.
I’ve been fortunate to work on some great projects. One favourite a few years
ago was with Pallant House in Chichester when I worked with an illustrator
providing interactive verbal imaging and interactive story making sessions
in response to a Mervyn Peake exhibition. Oh joy! A room filled with a world
of Grimm fairytales all waiting to be explored. One of the pictures was an
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