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Art, sport and disability: a universal language

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Lucy Bird

Ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games drawing to a close this weekend, Lucy Bird, Officer for Policy & Research reflects on the intersection between arts, sports, and disability, and how the Thriving Communities Fund is making a difference.
2 September 2021

Posted by:

Lucy Bird

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(left) is the competing horse (right) Laurentia Tan- close up image in the stable of Laurentia Tan looking at the horse while holding its nose

It was Bank Holiday Monday. One of the few days of the year I watch TV in the middle of the day, guilt free, wrapped up in what can only be described as a warm duvet burrito. I was watching the Paralympics commentary while cupping a mug of milky tea, eagerly waiting for the Freestyle Dressage (Grade I) to come on. 

This scene is thanks to an Arts Council colleague, who told me a few days earlier about the Paralympic equestrienne medal winner, Laurentia Tan (and her horse – Banestro). As she prepared to compete, Laurentia worked with a team of deaf musicians, technology specialists, artists, and writers at Audiovisability to help her understanding of music. Through the Two Hearts project (supported by Arts Council England), they created a track for Laurentia to perform to. The track explored the contrasting themes of sound and silence, hearing and deafness, and East and West. Laurentia is the first woman in sporting history to wear a subpac jacket which allowed her to access the music. Her performance was a delight to watch, with the music enabling a rhythmic harmony between rider and horse.  

Starting Points 

Watching professional athletes can be both inspiring and intimidating. People often say, “wow, they are just amazing” followed quickly by, “there is absolutely no way on earth I could ever do that!”. With an overarching narrative of winning medals, it is easy to forget that an end point is made up of a series of starting points. Laurentia taking up horse riding aged five as a form of physiotherapy for her cerebral palsy reminds me that perceived barriers often become our greatest opportunities. 

Having recently joined the Arts Council, I was keen to learn more about the projects we fund which unify arts and physical activity, with a focus on participants living with disabilities or long-term health conditions. Which brings me to the Thriving Communities Fund, a programme supporting projects which bring together place-based partnerships, improving and increasing social prescribing community activities. 

Thriving communities 

Argyle Community Trust, the official charity for Plymouth Argyle Football Club, work closely with Theatre Royal Plymouth’s Funky Llama, a steering group which supports disabled adults through inclusive arts and sports activities and events. Argyle Community Trust’s Health and Wellbeing Manager, Ben Kerswell, explained, “our Green Social Prescribing project uses a combination of sport and physical activities, arts and outdoor theatre events, and nature-based activities to encourage people back into their local community after lockdown.” 

Participants of Funky Llama Festival- two performers assisting a young girl on a hoop in the air as she balances crouched down inside it
Participants of Funky Llama Festival, image courtesy of Argyle Community Trust

Meanwhile, to support people with dementia and memory loss, Your Leisure Thriving Communities project in Dover uses a combination of creative arts and physical wellbeing sessions, to support cognitive function, improve self-esteem and reduce loneliness.  

Working with a range of community partners across Leeds, Space2 run a variety of sports and arts activities which tackle social isolation and improve wellbeing. One of their projects Seasonal Changes, facilitates sensory walks which connect people to their local area. One participant said, “I was not getting out much, having long term problems with physical and mental health. The first walk I had to take slow, but they are easier each time. I’ve found it good, enjoyable, and welcoming. I’m looking forward to taking photos for the exhibition too as I enjoy art. The walks have helped me feel more optimistic about my move to Gipton, and more confident about getting outside.” 

Participants of Seasonal Changes in a field covered in yellow flowers
Participants of Seasonal Changes, image courtesy of Space2

The sum of its parts

What struck me about both the Thriving Communities projects and the Two Hearts project, is their capacity to facilitate deep connections with others, self, and the world around us, which can take us to previously unimagined places. 

Phrases such as ‘new normal’ and words like ‘hybrid’ have been used by people with disabilities and long-term health conditions long before the pandemic. These communities have led the way in creating innovative, diverse and people-centred ways of participating and connecting. 

As the Paralympics draw to a close, and I unroll from my duvet burrito, I am left with the conviction that the intersections between arts, sports, and disabilities create a powerful and universal language. 

Find out more about the Thriving Communities Fund

The Thriving Communities Fund supports local voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise projects that bring together place-based partnerships to improve and increase the range and reach of available social prescribing community activities – especially for those people most impacted by COVID-19 and health inequalities.

The programme is delivered by the National Academy for Social Prescribing, Arts Council England, Natural England and Historic England, with support from NHS England and NHS Improvement, Sport England, the Office for Civil Society, the Money & Pensions Service and NHS Charities Together.

Read the case studies >