Disability Access Summit x Shape Open 2025

Join Bucks Culture, National Paralympic Heritage Trust, Shape Arts and the Rothschild Foundation to celebrate access and inclusion work going on in the county’s cultural sector, while also exploring current challenges and discussing next steps. This event will take place at the Brunel Engine Shed, High Wycombe (opposite High Wycombe Train Station).

As part of a project to commemorate and celebrate 10 years since the London 2012 Paralympics called Together We Build, a group of cultural partners worked together with representatives of the disability community in Bucks to develop their inclusive practice and an Access & Inclusion Manifesto. This event is an opportunity to build on this project and work towards the Buckinghamshire Cultural Strategy vision ‘to establish Buckinghamshire as the most accessible county for cultural participation’.

Shape Arts have recently moved into Buckinghamshire New University in High Wycombe, following collaboration on Bucks Culture’s 2024 Stories project and are excited to bring the Shape Open Exhibition to Buckinghamshire for the first time in 2025.

Through the Disability Access Summit, we aim to bring the Manifesto to life for existing and new collaborators, refreshing the Manifesto and raising awareness through celebration of success and activities to accelerate the journey to embedded disability access in the Bucks cultural sector.

The day will feature speakers from key cultural partners, representatives of the disability community and other stakeholders including Andrew Miller MBE, ACE UK Access Scheme Champion.

Part One – 1pm – 4pm – Access and Inclusion Manifesto Update and Next Steps Workshop

Part Two – 4.30pm – 5.30pm – Bucks All In Briefing

Part Three – 6pm – late – Shape Open Launch event.

Bucks has a long history of disability support, not only through being the birthplace of the Paralympics but also through many charities, such as Bucks Vision, with a history of over 100 years.  In 2023 a group of 10 Cultural organisations set about developing an Access and Inclusion Manifesto and we would like to revisit reshape and relaunch this as collaborative effort linked the Buckinghamshire Cultural Strategy, of which it is one of 4 priorities, and to the Rothschild Foundation who want to champion this work.   

To book your free space, please use this link: https://disability-access-summit-bucks.eventbrite.co.uk

Highlights:

1. Disability access remains very high on the priority of funders
2. Some local funders will be expecting commitment to this in future applications
3. Equal rights are important to us all
4. Recent Welfare changes have highlighted the continued vulnerability of disabled people
5. Access for disabled people in the cultural sector has not grown on average across the UK since 2009
6. You can make change happen

Venue accessibility:

The Brunel Shed is a relatively new venue and so we are still producing detailed access information. We will update this page as soon as we have further information.

The venue is step free and is located opposite High Wycombe Train Station and there is parking nearby.

Event Accessibility:

It is important to us that everyone is able to attend the event and engage with the conversations in a way which suits them. Questions will be asked at the time of booking to aid our planning and every effort will be made to accommodate the needs of all attendees.