About
Founded in London in 1976 by Gina Levete MBE, Shape Arts has been working for nearly five decades to widen access to culture for disabled people. Funded by Arts Council England as a National Portfolio Organisation, Shape operates across the UK and internationally and supports disabled creatives at every career stage.
What It Does
Shape Arts offers professional development through the Adam Reynolds Award, the Emergent residency programme (delivered in partnership with Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art), mentoring schemes, networking events, and career advice for disabled artists. It also provides disability equality training and consultancy to cultural institutions and delivers participatory arts programmes for disabled communities.
Who It Helps
Disabled artists at all career stages seeking professional development, mentoring, and representation in the cultural sector, as well as arts organisations wanting to meaningfully improve disability inclusion in their programming, staffing, and venues.