South East: Accentuate
One Vision, 15 Projects, 1000 days to create a cultural shift.
Accentuate is a pioneering and transformational programme of 15 projects, all of which have been inspired by our unique heritage of Stoke Mandeville as the birthplace of the Paralympic movement.
Accentuate will continue to carry the baton to ensure deaf and disabled people have the potential to be the leaders of tomorrow, in whatever field they choose. The programme offers real opportunities to showcase the talents of Deaf and disabled people of all ages, focussing on quality and ensuring there is critical debate about excellence.
Image by Paul Ackerley
Accentuate is working in partnership with regional cultural agencies to bring together sports, arts, culture, film and heritage. Projects will take place across the South East but the programme has a national ambition to change the perception of disabled people to create a real cultural shift between now and the London 2012 Paralympic Games. The programme will measure this shift not only through changes in attitudes but also by seeking to create over 200 new jobs and attracting new money to the region.
The 15 projects are:
• Realise! (Creative Junction) aims to support & develop the entrepreneurial skills of young disabled people in the South East through a range of skills-based workshops, competitions and work-placements
• Campaign! (Creative Junction) aims to celebrate collaboration between disabled young people in the South East with those from competitor countries, as they work together to build campaigns to raise awareness on issues that affect them in their respective countries
• Collaborations! (Creative Junction) aims to create new collaborations between emerging and established disabled artists, working in partnership with disabled athletes
• Gaming! (Creative Junction) Young disabled people are working with industry gaming experts to design new, inclusive, interactive games based on the theme of the Paralympics and Stoke Mandeville
• Playground to Podium (EFDS and Sport England) is an extension to the national initiative to ensure that disabled young people have the opportunity not only to participate but to excel in sport through high class coaching
• U Screen (Screen South) will be a local, regional and global gateway for young disabled and deaf people (alongside non-disabled young people) from the South East to share their stories and ideas through Screen Media
• Destination Zones (Tourism South East) is a series of audits and related training in the South East which aim to ensure that disabled people are better provided for within key destinations
• Creative Landscapes (English Heritage) aims to commission disabled artists to explore the historic environment culminating in new ways of seeing for Heritage Open Days
• Sync South East (Arts Council England South East) a programme of continuous professional development for selected artists and organisations in the region to ignite disabled leadership and to increase sustainability
• Fest (Arts Council England South East) is a programme of showcase activities designed to raise the profile and increase the networks of more than 15 regional deaf and disabled artists
• Go Public (Arts Council England South East) will develop opportunities for interventions by individual disabled and deaf artists and groups in the public realm to complement 2012
• Major Events (Tourism South East) aims to attract world renowned disability sporting events to the South East
• Paralympic Region (MLA and Buckinghamshire County Council) will develop and improve access, both physical and intellectual, to Stoke Mandeville’s historic archive and histories of individual Paralympic athletes
• Celebrate (Creative Programmer for London 2012, South East) will aim to ensure that the message of the Cultural Olympiad reaches the public and influences change in cultural provision over the 3 year celebration and beyond
• Commission (Creative Programmer for London 2012, South East) will develop and commission work, networks and professional development opportunities which ensure equity of access throughout the Cultural Olympiad.
Accentuate is funded by Legacy Trust UK, SEEDA and the regional cultural agencies. The home of Accentuate is Screen South.
Above: Blue Touch Paper Carnival's 'Blue It Up!' London 2012 Games Open Weekend event, July 2009 held simultaneously in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex and Ryde, Isle of Wight. Blue Touch Paper Carnival is part of the West Sussex Ahead of the Game Cultural Programme and supported through Celebrate and Commission projects within Accentuate.
