We want to provide 5000 reflective armbands and 500 personal alarms to local disabled people and carers to increase their safety and independence and enable more of them to participate in our arts activities over the winter months. (These items are no longer funded by the police or local authority.)
Together! 2012 CIC is a social enterprise led by disabled artists in the London Borough of Newham, which has the lowest level of arts engagement in the UK. We have been recognised by the NHS for "outstanding services in promoting the health and well-being of local people." This is what others have said about us:
“Together! 2012 is helping to deliver our vision of using the power of the 2012 Games to boost disabled people’s participation in arts and culture. I am proud that, with the help of partners such as Together! 2012 and the UK Disabled People’s Council, we will be able to create a lasting and meaningful cultural Paralympic Legacy in East London.” Lord Sebastian Coe, the Prime Minister’s Olympic and Paralympic Legacy Ambassador
“Together! 2012 is a launch pad rocketing culture in Newham to the skies.” Disability Arts Online
Together! began as a free, volunteer-led Disability Arts and Human Rights festival, organized by the UK Disabled People’s Council (UKDPC) in the London Borough of Newham to celebrate the Paralympics and Disability History Month (22 November-22 December). UKDPC has now helped to establish a social enterprise in Newham, led by four locally based disabled artists under the artistic direction of Dr Ju Gosling aka ju90, to take this work forward and make Newham an international centre of excellence for Disability Arts as part of the 2012 Legacy. Together! 2012 CIC was registered in March 2013, and has as its Patron international art star Yinka Shonibare MBE.
As well as the Together! festival, which now takes place annually in Disability History Month, we run arts activities and events throughout the year, both directly and on behalf of other organisations. We also offer consultancy and training services to arts organisations, and help to strengthen existing Disability Arts groups in East London and to create new ones. We are committed to making all of our activities free to disabled people and their families, carers, companions, PAs and support workers.
Together! is also working with partners in five other regions as part of the Arts Council England-funded DaDaFest on Tour group. This will enable us to promote disabled artists from East London across the UK and beyond, as well as facilitating us to bring in the best of national and international disabled talent to East London.
Together! is inspired by the late David Morris (1958-2010), External Inclusion lead at London 2012 and the Mayor of London’s disability adviser, whose work changed the lives of many disabled Londoners. David was a talented poet and low-budget film-maker as well as a campaigner, and completed his final film, Together!, for the UK Disabled People’s Council just before he died.
We are currently searching for funding, as well as for more volunteers.