Making a difference?

Exploring the impact of the Unlimited Commissions Programme for disabled artists

Shape and Artsadmin commissioned Patternmakers Founder Tandi Palmer Williams and arts & disability expert Morwenna Collett to evaluate the impact of Unlimited, a three-year commissioning and support programme for disabled artists.

The programme partners wanted to explore how the programme was helping to shift perceptions about disabled artists, and find out whether they were making a difference in the cultural sector and beyond.  

We conducted fieldwork at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, in Northern Ireland and in London, interviewing 35 disabled artists, producers and presenters from across the arts sector.

Our findings helped identify important new opportunities for the program, and the partners went on to secure new funding for the next phase of Unlimited. 

Jo said, ‘THANK YOU for your exceptional hard work on this. It’s great, everything we asked for. Tight, concise and clean, provocative, helpful and evidenced. We are delighted!’

Following the project, Unlimited was successful in securing additional funding for international expansion. Morwenna and Tandi developed an Access Statement for Researchers and Consultants, and were selected to present at Arts Activated and the ACSPRI Social Science Methodology Conference. Read more about their recommendations in their paper, 'Is Evaluation Truly Accessible?'