HomeFundingProjectsCultural Shift

Cultural Shift

ARC Stockton Arts Centre
Grantholder

A comprehensive three-year programme of dynamic arts activity involving disabled people at every level.

Project information

£250,000

Grant amount

July 2015

Date awarded

August 2015 – July 2018

Project dates

Stockton

Location

In partnership with:
Little Cog
Download: Cultural Shift End of Grant Report

Project Detail

Cultural Shift was a groundbreaking three-year collaboration between ARC Stockton Arts Centre and disabled-led theatre company Little Cog, funded by Spirit of 2012. The project set out to ensure ARC was a cultural space where disabled people feel welcome as artists, audiences, and participants — not as an afterthought, but as a driving force for artistic and organisational change.

From the start, Cultural Shift aimed to embed disability equality into the core of ARC’s ethos and practice. It was co-designed and co-produced by disabled artists and leaders, with the Social Model of Disability underpinning every aspect of its strategic and creative work. Cultural Shift was not about “inclusion” into the existing model — it was about changing the model itself.

Impact & Learning

Key Achievements

  • New Artistic Work: Three major disabled-led productions — Butterfly, Another England, and Lighthouse — brought compelling, accessible stories to the stage.
  • Organisational Transformation: ARC embedded disability equality into its policies and programming. All staff underwent Disability Equality Training, and ARC adopted new booking systems and infrastructure to make the venue more accessible and welcoming.
  • Empowering Participation: ARC’s resident learning-disabled theatre group, Full Circle, co-devised three productions and evolved into an independent company, supported by new Arts Council England funding.
  • Audience and Community Reach: Accessible club nights (Arctic Piranha), exhibitions, workshops, and a sector-wide symposium (“Conviva”) helped expand the visibility of disabled-led culture.

33

disabled artists

supported, with platforms created specifically around their needs and creative ambitions

395

disabled participants

engaged through performances and events

2,449

audience members

engaged through performances and events

Key learnings

  • Start together and stay together – Early on, it was a challenge to ensure the project wasn’t seen as a bolt-on or side project. It took time and intention to embed Cultural Shift into ARC’s identity — not just its programme. One key learning was the importance of training everyone so the whole organisation began the journey together.
  • Be honest and avoid tokenism – Staff recognised that audiences and artists can tell when initiatives are tokenistic. Real change came when ARC embraced uncomfortable conversations and focused on systemic change rather than superficial inclusion.
  • Don’t rely on one voice –At first, there was a tendency to expect one person to represent or carry the weight of disability equality. The project learned that real change requires a team effort and the diversification of voices — every member of staff must be an agent of change.
  • Allow for learning curves and setbacks – Some team members initially felt unsure or underinformed about disability arts history and current movements. Rather than retreating, they leaned into the learning. The project highlighted the need to create safe spaces for questions and growth — and to be okay with not knowing everything from the start.

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