Work has begun on the next phase of the Arts Council Wales funded Breaking The Box partnership project led by Taking Flight Theatre Company with partners Awen Cultural Trust, Carmarthenshire Theatres, RCT Theatres and Pontio supported by Wales’ national access scheme Hynt and Disability Arts Cymru. Hynt is an Arts Council of Wales initiative managed by Creu Cymru.
Breaking The Box is developing a network of inclusive, accessible venues in Wales that are confident and supported in welcoming diverse artists, backstage crew and administrators as well as audiences. The project provides training and support to the emerging Deaf, neurodivergent and disabled theatre workforce, building future roles for such creatives within Welsh venues and reimagining the creative workforce as a result. Project learning will also be shared across the sector in Wales and beyond.
The next phase began in Spring 2025, bringing Access Provocateurs into venues to act as a critical friend across all areas of work, enabling levels of access to significantly improve both behind and in front of the stage, and be considered holistically by art organisations. The provocateur role was designed to have lived experience at its core; working across all departments in their host organisation to give access a voice at the heart of the organisations. Emily Rose Corby, Demelza Monk and Rhys Slade-Jones took up their roles in May of this year and set to work immediately.
Emily Rose Corby – Awen Cultural Trust
Emily Rose is a Deaf artist and access consultant based in Cardiff. She champions creative access as a BSL Tour Guide, BSL Consultant, Creative Workshop Facilitator and Festival/Event Accessibility Consultant. Emily also runs the Celtic Deaf Festival in Ceredigion held during the final weekend in August.
Emily has been working with Awen to explore the booking process and customer experience within venues to remove any existing hidden barriers to access, improve inclusion across recruitment and HR procedures and support the accessible provision of their programming including working with Bridgend Youth Theatre and new pantomime company Scott Ritchie Productions.
“Awen is a big organisation that has already made important steps in prioritising access within their work,” commented Emily, “they have welcomed further insights especially around accessible marketing and developing links with local Deaf communities, where we have been able to pilot a Deaf Theatre Club in Bridgend with hopes for similar in other areas Awen have venues.It is exciting to see this area of work grow.”
Demelza Monk – Carmarthenshire Theatres
Demelza is a neurodivergent, multi-disciplinary theatre maker based in Pontypridd. Their work varies between stage management, puppet making, creative enabling and more. They are one of the founders of Same Hat Theatre, a collective of theatre makers with lived experience of access barriers and a shared drive to change established ways of working.
Demelza has been working with Carmarthenshire Theatres to review and improve their visual stories and sensory bags for audiences, and launch a programme of BSL Theatre Nights. They have also been working on improving the accessibility of their website and booking processes, as well as arranging training programmes for staff.
“It has been really rewarding to work with Carmarthenshire Theatres on the project so far,” Demelza shared, “We have already made great strides in improving access across all three venues and forming relationships with local groups such as Llanelli Deaf Centre, which I hope will live on long past this project. There is a real enthusiasm for access within the organisation, and I am excited to see how much more we can achieve together.’
Rhys Slade-Jones – RCT Theatres
Based in Treorchy, Rhys is an interdisciplinary artist, theatre maker, writer and performer who has worked with National Theatre Wales, Theatr Genedlaethol, BBC and S4C amongst others and is a founding member of queer Welsh performance collective CWM RAG.
Rhys has been working with RCT Theatres to establish supportive, accessible networks and processes for local creatives including creating regular Scratch Nights with BSL provision for artists to develop work within safe spaces, as well as exploring the need for open rehearsal visits where artists can observe how to run accessible spaces.
“RCT has hundreds of creatives within its borders, many of whom identify as neurodivergent especially. There is a wealth of empathy and ambition to make works that is as broad in it’s appeal, and ensures that barriers for makers and audiences are removed” Rhys commented, “RCT Theatre’s continued support of local artists, along with the lessons and learnings from the wider Breaking the Boxes network means this is a very exciting time for the creation of new, accessible and exciting work from across RCT.”
From autumn 2025, the project will also see another phase of its Early Career Creatives strand; this will provide placements, support and training opportunities for Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent creatives at the beginning of their careers in the arts in Wales.
The Breaking The Box project work with Access Provocateurs runs until January 2026 when further findings will be shared.