As we consider how The Dining Room will look and feel once the building is reopened, we are also thinking about how we make the space as accessible as possible for our communities. We were joined by creative access consultant Ash Cox. Ash introduced the group to their practice as an artivist, creative access producer and consultant. Ash’s practice is reflective of their lived experience being a disabled, queer, working-class artist. They discussed with the group how access provisions can be integrated creatively to enrich how people experience making and interacting with art and we considered what might be possible to put into place for The Dining Room.
Drawing upon their own lived experiences, the group discussed what they felt was important for equitable access in the Dining Room, including sensory support for the busy, stimulating environment, clear signage and lighting to aid visually impaired navigation of the space as well as the use of audio descriptions in relation to the heritage displays.
We will be meeting with Ash again to think on and implement some practical steps that will support individual’s engagement with The Dining Room and help facilitate equitable access to the artworks, heritage displays and food offer.