Welcome to Shape

What is Shape Arts?

We are a disability-led arts organisation which works to improve access to culture for disabled people by providing opportunities for disabled creatives, training cultural institutions to be more open to disabled people, and through running participatory arts and development programmes. 

Our programmes have run for over forty-five years, supporting disabled creatives and those facing disabling barriers to creative careers or audience participation. Our current programme finds us opening new avenues for disabled creatives through commissioning, exhibitions, and learning-based support such as residencies, advice, and guidance. We continue to break new ground in digital spheres and advocating for disabled people struggling to access the arts and creative industries through our consultancy services.

We work across three main areas:

1. A creative programme, working directly with disabled creatives
2. Heritage projects, documenting the social history of disabled people
3. Access consultancy, including training and auditing

How did we start?

In 1976, Shape was founded by Gina Levete MBE with the purpose of introducing creative opportunities for pockets of the community where there was little or no opportunity to participate in the artistic life of the country. Today, Shape works nationally and internationally to champion disabled creatives, advocate for accessibility across culture, and innovate around creative practices, inclusion, and audience engagement. You can find out more about our history below.

What's important to us?

• Our Philosophy and founding principle is that all disabled people should have the opportunity to participate fully in arts and culture
• Our Vision is an inspiring and inclusive arts sector, accessible to all
• Our Mission is to promote great art and inclusive practices, knowledge, and learning, ensuring disabled people have active and influential roles in the industry - as leaders, creatives, participants, and audiences
• Our Values are inclusion, ambition, creativity, and excellence

Strategic aims

We have five working aims that enable us to carry out our mission:

1. Work with cultural sector organisations towards promoting greater accessibility and inclusion – opening talent and audience pathways.
2. Raise the aspirations of disabled people wanting to work and lead in the cultural sector, providing high quality, accessible learning and development opportunities to support their careers.
3. Support disabled creatives to achieve excellence and inspire a new generation of creatives to emerge.
4. Improve public perception of disabled creatives and raise their profile across the UK and internationally, to diverse and growing audiences.
5. Lead with landmark and influential “game-changer” projects to build our creative and cultural reach, and continue to pioneer the way for disabled and diverse people who face barriers

Who are we?

Find out more about our Trustees, the Shape team, and the artists we work with.

What do we mean by 'disabled' and 'disability'?

All of our work is underpinned by the Social Model of Disability - find out more by browsing our resources.

Learn more about Shape Arts