token role for the that evolved in the work of an activity that they did not Support people are partners whether the sheer Restless automatically own. In other and allies in this important challenge of involving them as My use words, they were the people work. Mutual respect ‘reverse integration’. in the ebb and flow of the of the word integration took a having to do the integrating and between workshop served term familiar to the disability find their place within a support staff and the sector- the principle that every by the others. workshop leader is as ‘normality’ defined person with a disability has the They became the essential for a successful only to undermine them, and ‘other’. right to integrate into society, whether we had the energy to project as building positive Material for a performance enjoying equal access to work, relationships with the sustain the double role for us of evolves from the dancers’ education, relationships, running a group as well as participants. personal responses to religion and politics and then finding ways in which the – improvisation tasks As a means of demonstrating turned it on its head. devised by the director. the expertise of people with an could meaningfully take These ideas intellectual disability, we use a some responsibility. Nowadays, disability sector are then shaped, modified and team of co-leaders who work policy has shifted to embrace a positioned by the director in alongside the workshop leader Over time it has all been model of personal collaboration with the dancers. worth it! The co-leaders in empowerment and the need for The dancers agree on the the community have come to operate as company’s people with powerful role cultural development programs. ‘right’ a disability to make their own models for other people with an The early days were a huge choices. I like to think that challenge, because it took a intellectual disability, and the of the ‘wrong’ Restless has always demonstrating their expertise long time to find out who could imagery in relation to the operated this way, but the handle the role and even longer and supporting participants to ideas they want to express. initial concept recognise their However, in performance for those people to develop their of reverse integration was skills. own developing skills. there is always room for the useful. Reverse integration subtle shifts of In the early days of the My valiant colleagues and referred to pacing or spacing by which the company I wondered for a long time the idea that the dancers dancers with a disability make I described the methodology whether we were setting up a without a disability entered into the material their own. If the
Support people are partners and allies in this important work. Mutual respect between support staff and the workshop leader is as essential for a successful project as building positive relationships with the participants. As a means of demonstrating the expertise of people with an intellectual disability, we use a team of co-leaders who work alongside the workshop leader in the company’s community cultural development programs. The early days were a huge challenge, because it took a long time to find out who could handle the role and even longer for those people to develop their skills. My valiant colleagues and I wondered for a long time whether we were setting up a token role for the whether the sheer challenge of involving them in the ebb and flow of the workshop served only to undermine them, and whether we had the energy to sustain the double role for us of running a group as well as finding ways in which the could meaningfully take some responsibility. Over time it has all been worth it! The co-leaders have come to operate as powerful role models for other people with an intellectual disability, demonstrating their expertise and supporting participants to recognise their own developing skills. In the early days of the company I described the methodology that evolved in the work of Restless as ‘reverse integration’. My use of the word integration took a term familiar to the disability sector- the principle that every person with a disability has the right to integrate into society, enjoying equal access to work, education, relationships, religion and politics – and then turned it on its head. Nowadays, disability sector policy has shifted to embrace a model of personal empowerment and the need for people with a disability to make their own choices. I like to think that Restless has always operated this way, but the initial concept of reverse integration was useful. Reverse integration referred to the idea that the dancers without a disability entered into an activity that they did not automatically own. In other words, they were the people having to do the integrating and find their place within a ‘normality’ defined by the others. They became the ‘other’. Material for a performance evolves from the dancers’ personal responses to improvisation tasks devised by the director. These ideas are then shaped, modified and positioned by the director in collaboration with the dancers. The dancers agree on the ‘right’ and the ‘wrong’ of the imagery in relation to the ideas they want to express. However, in performance there is always room for the subtle shifts of pacing or spacing by which the dancers with a disability make the material their own. If the
Accessible-Arts-Positive-Negative-.docx