Arts organisations launch All In access scheme

Arts Council England has joined with Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Arts Council of Wales and Creative Scotland to form a new UK-wide arts access scheme, All In, for deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people. 

The scheme hopes to make creative and cultural events more accessible. The new All In website has a sign-up page for organisations to express their interest so they can be kept informed of developments planned for 2024 for disabled audience members. 

The website also features a support directory for organisations to find accessibility consultants, freelances and organisations from around the UK.  

All In’s development by a disabled-led team builds on the work and success of Hynt – Wales’ access scheme for theatres and arts centres. It will look at making it easier to book tickets by improving the way access requirements are shared, provide training and learning support to help venues meet sector-backed accessibility standards and attract new audiences to the UK’s creative and cultural events. 

In a joint statement, Darren Henley, chief executive, Arts Council England; Roisín McDonough, chief executive, Arts Council of Northern Ireland; Dafydd Rhys, chief executive, Arts Council of Wales; and Iain Munro, chief executive, Creative Scotland said: "We’re working with deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people and organisations of all sizes to make sure that this new scheme welcomes everyone. By doing that, All In will benefit individual audience members as well as creative and cultural organisations of all sizes across the UK."  

Louise Miles-Payne, director, Creu Cymru (Hynt management) added: "We are really pleased to see the new All In Website go live today. The success of Hynt in Wales has seen increased access to the arts and more theatres putting the needs of deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people at the forefront of their operations. All In will make it easier for audiences to travel and experience the creativity and culture the UK has to offer." 

Jamie Hale, artistic director, CRIPtic Arts, added: "As a disabled person, the challenges of booking appropriate tickets have often meant I’ve missed events entirely. I’ve been delighted to support the disabled-led development of All In, a scheme with the potential to transform accessibility across the arts. Development is ongoing, but it’s exciting to see All In start to take shape and launch its website. As a disabled-led scheme, it’s built on community knowledge of community needs, and has the potential to transform disabled people’s access to the arts."