Disabled people in theatre are very limited in our opportunities for accessible training and development. This is something that I was painfully aware of as I wrote and directed for theatre – without ever having had formal training opportunities. I’d learned a lot ‘on the job’, but to concentrate on skills, and ones that scared me, was a very different prospect and one I was nervous about.

I first came across Graeae through knowing of their theatre work, but our main point of connection was the Ensemble programme. I applied for this after I set up and started to run CRIPtic Arts, which offers public arts workshops, tailored development programmes, showcases work, and connects with the wider arts industry. I was enjoying that, but I really loved performing and the idea of directing – and I knew that I had a lot to learn. The more I tried to learn independently, the more I wanted to have proper training. I wanted to understand the skills and techniques I would need to be good at my work, and when Ensemble came along, it seemed like an ideal way to develop myself further.

Doing the Ensemble programme was a huge leap into the unknown for me. I wasn’t used to many things we had to experiment with, from voice and movement to table-work. However, the more I became embedded in that learning, the more confident I became that it had been the right decision. Graeae is a giant in the disability arts industry, and it was a chance for me to really sharpen my skills in a space that felt supportive and empowering. There were many things – including voice and movement – that tapped into areas in which I am very uncomfortable. I don’t know if I would have felt able to work on those skills in a space that wasn’t disabled-centred – but the learning I did at Graeae gave me the courage to continue to develop those skills in my personal life.

After my Ensemble cohort closed down due to the pandemic, I returned to building CRIPtic, taking forward many of the lessons I’d learned and needs I’d identified whilst being at Graeae. However, since my time on Ensemble, Graeae have remained a consistent feature in my professional life, supporting me as I develop major shows, with advice and encouragement, rehearsal space (that actually has good access provisions), staff time and expertise to help me grow and develop, and a generous listening ear.