As a Disabled Curator and Artist my practice is underpinned by a commitment to Access, Inclusion and Diversity. I believe all work should be accessible whether that is in the physical world within galleries, buildings or the public realm and within the virtual or digital realm. I have significant experience in making culture accessible in a meaningful and authentic manner.
I have a conversational style of engagement which facilitates and catalyses change enabling those engaged in the process to feel in control. I am interested in working with people and organisations to understand access, inclusion and diversity and the positive impact it can have throughout an organisation to employees, visitors and audiences.
Please contact me at ajmoesby@gmail.com if you would like to talk about working together. Below are some of my activities
DIGITAL ACCESS
When Covid -19 impacted the cultural sector many organisations put content on line. However just because it is available does not mean it is accessible. I work with organisations to ensure the work shown is accessible to a wide an audience as possible. You may be an organisation who is yet to start to their journey to become accessible, inclusive, equitable and diverse, and find the whole thing so scary it has created a lack of inertia. We can go at a pace to suit you. We can devise a method to suit you – to discuss, learn and share before creating and implementing the change required. Most recently I have worked with Abandon Normal Devices AND Festival the British Art Network and MAYK.
CURATING AND CULTURAL ACCESS
All my work has access, diversity and inclusion at its core. Built in from the start.
In 2020 I was Associate Curator with MIMA as part of the Future Curators Program to improve the representation of disabled curators within institutions.This provided me with an institutional context to apply my knowledge and lived experience as a disabled curator in how to work with exhibitions, audiences, staff teams artists and visitors.
We can work together to solve your cultural access requirements, be that practically, around exhibitions or more structural organisational issues.
Conversations underpin my practice – and in any conversation Listening is just as important as talking.
Commissions and clients include being Disability Associate for Salisbury International Arts Festival working with CAPE UK and Tyne and Wear Museums and Archives on their Creative Case for Diversity research. Other clients have included Dundee Contemporary Arts, The Art House, Disability Arts Online, DASH in association with Disability Arts Cymru and Engage Scotland.
CONVERSATIONS
In the modern day we sometimes forget the value of face to face conversation, individually or in small groups. Finding out how we think and feel, exploring issues we are passionate about or those which we are unsure and need a little guidance to explore. In addition to facilitation I regularly guest on panels to discuss Disability, Curating, Art, Mental Health, Inclusion and Diversity and Climate Change in the broadest contexts with organisations .
TRAINING
I hate powerpoint and I hate being talked at for 2 hours – that’s not my idea of training or being trained. Professional development doesn’t have to be dull. No one knows all the answers and it’s okay to not know. I have years of experience of working within the mental health system as a professional, service user, artist, writer and trainer. I also facilitate sessions on Disability and Equality and issues of diversity, particularly within the cultural sector.
