 |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Background
My background (long ago) is in Fine Art, gaining a degree from Goldsmith’s in 1989 (the same year as many of the BritArt stars). From there I went on to work in the newly emerging field of Desktop Publishing, acquiring experience in publishing houses before going on to work freelance. This was very financially successful and allowed me time to become involved with the Young Unknowns Gallery in Waterloo which eventually led to setting up a business – GOAT art and design agency.
Woops, that wasn't meant to happen
In early 1992 very soon after the completion of GOAT’s first commission, I went to hospital for a diagnostic procedure on my right hand. Things did not go according to plan and, after much surgery and other interventions, nearly five years later I had the final operation to remove what was left of my hand. I had tried to carry on with the business for several months but it was clearly impossible and I was not able to work at all during this period.
Big changes
Once my arm was finally stabilised and I had dealt with most of the other problems that had arisen from the years of surgery and opiate dependency, I got myself out of the city. London had become too much and I had fallen in love with the quiet greenness of West Wales. For the first year or so I was busy teaching myself additional skills and catching up with the new technology that had appeared in the five years I’d been in the medical wilderness, most notably the internet and web design.
Women's Music Festival
I became involved with a local charity shortly before their first event - a music camp - held in 1998. I was ‘volunteered’ to produce posters and programmes for the event and subsequently to write a press release. Subsequently I was contracted under a variety of job titles and also gave voluntary time when funding was not available or adequate. For many years I was the group's Information Officer, responsibilities covering all printed publicity material for the Festival and other events, the website, and a whole various of other tasks. I managed the festival bookings system, including database design, organised crew for the festival in advance and throughout the festival. I also acted as ‘Disability Access Co-ordinator’, a role which involved pre-festival work on policies and guidelines as well as making sure that the site itself was as friendly as possible for the many disabled women who attended the event. This aspect of the job was highly rewarding and educational.
Disability Equality Foundation
This interest in access led me to seek Disability Equality Training because I wanted to make sure that I was as up to date as possible with the language and terminology and to make sure that the Festival was as accessible as we could make it. It was during my first DET foundation day that I realised that I had the potential and the capability to be a Disability Equality Trainer myself.
I can do that.
The next step was to find a way of gaining the further training I would need to become an effective trainer. At first it seemed that there was no such training available, certainly not anywhere near where I lived and I would have to find another way, but then I heard about DETonate. This course was going to be run by Disability Arts Cymru (formerly Arts Disability Wales) to train up ten disabled people as arts specific Disability Equality Trainers. The course was ideally suited to my background and what I wanted to do and I could not believe my luck. Getting a place on the course was no easy matter, high standards were expected and I was very relieved when my place was finally confirmed.
Training the Trainer
The course ran from January to April 2003 and completely exceeded my expectations in terms of the sheer learning and personal development I felt that I achieved during the four modules. I now have enough experience, working with a variety of organisations to feel fully confident with my skills as a Disability Equality Trainer. One participant wrote on a feedback form that it had been “a life altering experience”. That's what I'm aiming for.
Training the Trainer some more
Since then I have completed 'Training the Trainer' courses with two other organisations. The first was a 4 day course in December 2005 with Disability Equality in Education/Scope, with a focus on the newly announced Disability Equality Duty. The second was a one day course with Attitude is Everything, an organisation which promotes better access for disabled people to clubs, music venues, festivals etc. I also attended a top-up training weekend with Disability Arts Cymru to learn some additional creative training techniques.
DASHing around
Between 2006-2011 I worked part-time as Projects Manager for DASH, a Ceredigion based charity organising playschemes and other leisure opportunities for disabled children and young people. During this time I gained Level 4 qualifications in Management from the ILM and NVQ.
Back to Freelanceing Freedom
In Febrauary 2011 I left DASH to return to freelancing again. Currently my time is divided between Disability Equality Training, graphic and web design (goat.biz) and my hobby/passion photographing the local landscape, my immediate environment and animals. I am also involved with various communityand voluntary organisations and in the developmwnt of a startup CIC organisation. Spare time is a bit of a fantasy but I'd only be bored.