arts, access, action

Mission and Aims

Shape's strategy embraces our history and our achievements and looks to the future with renewed energy and commitment.

Our strategy reflects the artistic and political 'journey' of the disability and deaf communities and seeks to offer them a new platform to profile their work. Our strategy invests in disabled and deaf people as equals and seeks to ensure that they can play an active role in the cultural life of London and the UK. In order to achieve these aims, Shape will work in partnership with other arts organisations to build their capacity and their understanding of the creative potential of disabled and deaf people.

Aims

• To promote disabled and deaf people as artists, audiences and participants in the arts and creative industries
• To achieve excellence and equality in all its artistic work and methods of delivery
• To recognise and promote the power of the arts as a tool for social and cultural change and to engage actively with legislators and policy makers
• To work in a progressive and visionary way, setting new agendas and leading debate whilst remaining responsive to new issues emerging from the arts, cultural industries, disability arts, deaf arts and related sectors
• To work proactively and collaboratively with partners in the community and the arts and disability sectors to achieve its ambitions and objectives
• To embody in its beliefs, actions and dealings with others the key principles of rights, inclusion, respect and diversity