The Results (Part 3) - What personal skills are required for successful inclusive arts practice at Epic Arts in Cambodia?

In my last blog I presented the second theme area that was discovered through the interviews and observations I conducted at Epic Arts. This third blog post in the 3-part, “The Results”, series addresses the third theme area that the research at Epic Arts revealed. This third area was the particular ‘personal skills’ that people felt were required for successful inclusive arts practice at Epic Arts.

What PERSONAL SKILLS are seen to be required for successful inclusive arts practice at Epic Arts?

• Include everyone in communication
• Be part of a team
• Have knowledge and share knowledge
• Be adaptable in all areas

Include everyone in communication

The first of these ‘personal skills’ that people felt were required for successful inclusive arts practice was the ability to include everyone in communication. With three different languages in use at Epic Arts; Khmer, Cambodia Sign Language and English, clear communication can be a challenge at times, but one everyone feels is necessary to overcome. It was clear to see that additional challenges were also present as many of the people who are deaf at Epic cannot read or write. But as an inclusive organisation, clear communication is seen as essential and I could see that a lot of time and effort went in to making communication clear and accessible to all.

From my research at Epic Arts, I have been asked to create an ’Inclusion Policy’ or ‘Epic Manifesto’. This is still in its initial stages of development, but is starting to take form as a draft document called ‘We are Epic….We are Inclusive’. I feel that because communication is such a key part of Epic Arts’ successful working practices I have included it as point four in the ‘We are Epic….We are Inclusive’ document and it says;

Below is a flow chart that is an appendix to the ‘We Are Epic… We Are Inclusive’ document and shows how communication happens at the organisation. 

This document was developed with the staff at Epic Arts and you can see on this flow chart that Khmer, English and simple images are used so that those who can’t read or understand a language can make sense of the document.

Inclusive communication was also evident on the walls of the Epic Arts Centre, which contained a number of colorful timetables. Here is an example of a weekly timetable for the Inclusive Arts Course, which combines Khmer, English and images so that everyone can access the timetable.

A new one of these is made every week at Epic Arts so that everyone can understand what is happening, this process and format is also used for the Epic Encounters performance team when they tour. A similar style tour timetable and plan is created to enable the performers to be independent and to access information about what they are scheduled to do.

I also discovered in the interviews that the admin team at Epic are also working on sign videos of all the policies at the organisation and these will be posted on You Tube so that they can be accessed by staff who are deaf, at all times. As many of the staff who are deaf can't read, this use of digital media is a unique solution to the communication of important rights and rules that apply to them as employees.

It also became evident in interviews and observations that inclusive communication comes in other forms that do not involve words and a number of peoplel interviewed expressed the need for an awareness and understanding of body language. One teacher said,

“I can be inclusive in my words, give positive comments and feedback, but I am very aware that a facial expression or the way I stand can look like I don’t mean it, which can have a huge affect on a person.”

Many of the staff at Epic who are deaf, expressed that they are very aware of the body language of others and the way in which someone stands or uses their facial expressions can communicate a message to them, whether this is positive or negative. The students on the Inclusive Arts Course are aware of this and one student said,

“Your body language can be welcoming or unwelcoming, but you can be feeling the opposite. It's important when communicating to be open in our body language and aware of it in order not to exclude people.”

This awareness of body language was also clear in the Special Education Project, where some of the students with learning disabilities in the classes have limited or no verbal ability and are often very sensitive to other peoples body language. When I observed the lessons with these students, I could see that teachers were open in their body language and positive facial expressions were used well to support communication.

Be part of a team

Another personal skill that I identified as a key element in successful inclusive arts practice was the ability to be part of a team. One staff member explained that inclusive arts requires teamwork and a sense of a community working towards the same goal, he said,

“Creating inclusive arts work is a shared experience within a ‘community’ of artists. It is not about a single person’s agenda or mission, or solely about what they can get from it, but about a shared purpose.”

In all the areas of work at Epic, there appeared to be a sense of shared purpose and everyone working for the greater good, the development of others and of themselves. Within the Epic Arts community, its clear to see that everyone is aware of the strengths and weaknesses of each other and when working in a team everyone seemed to have an awareness of the role they could take regardless of their ability. One volunteer said,

“The students are very much a community and they can read each other and often don't need to ask each other if they need help, they know the strengths and weakness of each other.”

One visitor I interviewed also joined me in this observation of ‘commonality’ when they noticed the sense of community at Epic Arts and said,

“I think building communities is a hard thing, but I think building communities with so many different abilities must be harder, but you really feel that sense of community at Epic Arts.”

In one observation I undertook, I watched an art lesson with the Inclusive Arts Course students and they were participating in a textiles project as a group. Independently they chose to create an assembly line and each person had a part within it that reflected their strength so everyone could be involved. No one talked about this in the lesson, it just seemed to evolve.

Another personal skill that everyone at Epic seems to have developed is a very strong sense of humour. One staff member said,

“I think the notion of inclusion at Epic is seen in its most honest form in the humour within in the organisation.”

During my research time at Epic Arts, it was clear to see this was a fun place to be, there was a feeling of play and freedom and everyone appeared to approach things with a sense of humour and that humour involved and included everyone. One volunteer noticed that,

“There is a great sense of fun and a lot of light-hearted banter and even this is equal, there may be jokes about someone wearing glasses, or the colour of their hair or their disability; everyone can be joked about in a fun way, everyone is included – everyone is fair game!”

Here is one example of the jokes and banter that happen between people at Epic Arts. This is a Facebook post from a staff member called Buntheng. He posted a video of his little boy walking for the first time saying…

“I’m 11 months old and I can walk now!”

Within minutes Sokun, one of the performers with Epic Encounters, who is a wheelchair user, posted a comment ….

“I’m 30 years old now and I still can’t walk, any ideas?”

This was quickly followed by another staff member saying….

“Oh Sokun, don’t be jealous of him!”

Have knowledge and share knowledge

Another personal skill that I identified as necessary for successful inclusive arts practice at Epic Arts was to have knowledge, be prepared and share knowledge. The aim to have professional knowledge, to be well prepared and to have knowledge of other people was revealed in all areas of the Epic Arts programmes. A number of people I interviewed talked about the importance of knowledge and understanding to prevent people being fearful of others. One of the inclusive arts students said that,

“If people do not have an understanding or knowledge about different people they can be fearful and this can stop inclusive arts from happening, because there is judgment and uncertainty.”

I think this very simply explains the importance of the awareness of others and the acceptance of differences. In workshops I observed, I saw people being wary of the workshop leaders with disabilities at first, but as they spent time with them they became more comfortable and there was a realization that there was nothing to be fearful of. 

As part of the Inclusive Arts Course at Epic, students learn to lead workshops and as part of this they are taught the importance of being knowledgeable about being inclusive, being well prepared and well planned. The students seem to have taken this on board as one student I interviewed said,

“I have to have knowledge about working with different people in an inclusive way. I must plan and be prepared so I can give a high quality experience to the people in the workshop.”

At Epic Arts it was apparent that there was an importance placed on those leading inclusive workshops being knowledgeable in how to work creatively with different abilities and to have solid training in this. I could see that the workshop leaders were strong artists and able to teach, but they also had a specialist knowledge of how to work inclusively. The dance teacher at Epic also said,

“Its vital I am well prepared and aware of the needs of each student and how they can work on the project within the group, not just as individuals.”

Being well planned and aware of the needs of all individuals in the group is an essential criterion for successful inclusive arts practice as it’s very hard to ‘make it up’ in an inclusive setting and hope it works, as there are so many things to consider. The workshop leaders and those students learning to become workshop leaders seemed to understand this and the idea of being well planned and knowledgeable was ingrained in the teaching process at all stages of planning and delivery.

Be adaptable in all areas

The final ‘personal skill’ that people at Epic Arts felt was key to successful inclusive arts practice was to be adaptable in all areas and this skill seemed to permeate every interview I did and every observation I undertook. Every single person talked about how important adaptability was in all areas of the work at Epic Arts during their interview. Its almost as if being adaptable is the very foundation of the inclusive arts work the organisation does. One student gave an example of how this idea of being adaptable works for him when dancing with others. He said,

“To dance or move together with someone who uses a wheelchair, I do not have to get in a wheelchair myself to do that persons movements, just like they do not need to stand like me, but together we can work out a new way to make a movement by adapting together.”

This highlighted to me that 'adapting together' is the very fabric of creating at Epic, not an 'after thought' in creative workshops. There is an understanding and acceptance that everyone needs to make some adaptations to work together, but that this modifying creates a new way of achieving something and it is an integral part of the creative process, not simply something to ‘overcome’. One staff member talked about adaptability at Epic in general, not just the in 'creative' elements and said,

“I think that people who are successful at working inclusively at Epic Arts are adaptable and understand that things are changeable and organic and that the experience is a journey of discovery for everyone. Its part of what makes up what we call ‘Epic DNA’.”

Things are always changing and moving around at Epic Arts. With so many different needs; requirements, plans, activities and even thoughts and ideas have to be moveable and cant be fixed or ridge as being flexible creates the space for people to explore how to adapt. Within this concept of flexibility one teacher did highlight an important element to remember in terms of being adaptable. She said,

“We cannot be selfish and want something to be the way we want it, but in the same way, we shouldn't move too close to what another person wants either. There needs to be a middle ground, there needs to be respect of each other AND of ourselves - This the true nature of inclusion in the arts!”

In being adaptable, its important to not adapt towards one person’s needs so much that it affects who you are and what you can do. I think as this teacher says above, the idea of ‘meeting in the middle’ with a respect of others and of ourselves is the 'hallmark' of inclusive arts practice. Just like a Chameleon adapts naturally to its surroundings, we must also learn to adapt to each other as a natural process to enable successful inclusive arts practice to happen.

In my next blog I will begin to look at how my primary and secondary research links together and how I can begin to structure my findings to make the basis of a booklet for use within Epic Arts.

The Results (Part 2) - What actions enable successful inclusive arts practice at Epic Arts in Cambodia?

In my last blog I presented the first theme area that was discovered through the interviews and observations I conducted at Epic Arts. This second blog in the 3-part “The Results” series of blogs addresses the second theme area that the research at Epic Arts revealed. This second area was the particular actions that people felt enabled successful inclusive arts practice at Epic Arts?

What ACTIONS are seen to be required for successful inclusive arts practice at Epic Arts?

• Give time to activities and people
• Set an example and share
• Be respectful and caring to others
• Treat people equally
• Encourage creative Interactions

Give time to activities and people

The first action that people discussed was to give time to people
and activities. Spending time with people to listen to them and help them to develop and also committing time to plan for activities to ensure that they are inclusive and accessible to all people. A number of people I interview talked about the importance of space and time in inclusive arts. One student said:

“When we create work we always start by sitting together to share ideas to give people space and a chance to say their creative ideas.”

Space and time allows for everyone to share ideas and explore thought processes and resulting concepts. With the different communication methods involved at the organisation, allowing for each person to be able to have to space to express an idea is critical. One performer said,

“We share our thoughts as we want to hear all ideas. We must be kind and respectful when we share, giving time and space to people, by waiting for everyone to share their ideas.”

Some people may need to be encouraged to share their ideas, as they may doubt what they say has worth. But its evident at Epic Arts that the importance of being respectful of all ideas given and all ideas being valued helps to make people feel more comfortable to share ideas in a public arena. Time was also something that I discussed with a number of people at Epic Arts; the sense that it does not matter how long it takes to make something inclusive and accessible, but that it is imperative that everyone can have access to information or an activity regardless of time implications. One staff manager said

“Its important to allow time for development of ideas and learning, there needs to be time for things to be adapted and this may take longer in an inclusive arts setting, but in the end it means everyone is included in the process and everyone can access it.”

Without time and patience things cannot be adapted affectively and then people can be excluded. This is evident in how Epic Arts staff create simple timetables for the students at the center. Some people in the organisation use Khmer, some use English and some cant read at all; but time is taken to make accessible timetables inclusive of everyone’s needs by combining the different languages and engaging imagery in the process.

Epic Arts Inclusive Timetable

In terms of giving time to people, many people interviewed talked about the importance of listening and taking the time to ‘tune in’ to others. One teacher said.

“The one key thing I have learnt is to keep talking, keep listening, keep communicating and keep asking questions and giving suggestions… it's a learning journey together.”

In listening to the requirements, opinions and thoughts of others, everyone learns and everyone evolves in their understanding, whether that is the facilitator or the participants. Some people I interviewed also talked about listening in the sense of ‘being aware’, or listening to the movements and reactions of other people by taking time to observe them as a whole. One teacher said.

“It's so important that people are aware of other people and their experiences of a situation. You need to be aware of others and ‘listen’ to how they feel.”

Part of listening to others in the inclusive arts setting is about being sensitive to others and how they are feeling. I think this idea of the importance of listening within inclusive arts and also within life in general is summed up well by an audience member who said.

“People are the experts of themselves; we are all the experts of our own reality and know ourselves the best, so sometimes ‘listening’ is the best thing we can do to learn about and from each other.”

If we want to see the ability in everyone and be adaptable to everyone’s needs, we need to speak to the expert and that expert is always the person themselves. In listening, being present in the moment and taking time, we can start to learn how things can work the most effectively for each individual.

Set an example and share

The second action that people felt was needed for successful inclusive arts practice was to set an example and to share with others. A number of people I spoke to talked about being inclusive outside of the center and the workplace. It seems that being ‘inclusive’ has become a way of life for many staff and students at Epic Arts. One students said,

“We try to act as inclusive people all the time; in our work, in our families and in our communities.”

The impact that the inclusive arts students have had on the local community has been huge; they socialize outside of the center together and often visit each other’s families. They are asked many questions what they do and they act as ‘inclusive ambassadors’ in the town and further afield. Staff at Epic Arts often talk about how they wish that Cambodia could be more inclusive and accepting of people and they feel that if they can set an example, people will see and learn and move closer to this ideal. One staff member said

“When I am outside of work, I try to be inclusive in the way that I act, as I want people to know that we can all live like this and have an inclusive society in Cambodia.”

In Cambodia, people with disabilities are often not allowed to work or to have important roles in society. By giving those with disabilities visible roles in Epic Arts, people learn from the example and see the possibilities. One workshop participant pointed out that,

“It was good that one of the translators was also a wheelchair user; it helped to communicate the idea of equally on all levels and a sense of responsibility for each person regardless of ability.”

Epic Arts employs both disabled and non-disabled people in all areas of its work and gives everyone equal chance to develop and gain responsibility. Many of the teachers from Epic who work in the community have disabilities and this makes a big impact on people when they see them doing a job of perceived importance or higher social status. One person said,

“I think in this culture, where people with disabilities are seen as nothing, to put them in the role of a teacher is actually incredibly significant and for the Cambodian children to see.”

Many of the staff themselves recognize the importance of being in a responsible role and showing others in Cambodia that people with disabilities are able to work, lead and contribute. One teacher with a physical disability said;

“They learn English, but they also learn that I can teach and that people with disabilities can have important jobs.”

One of the senior managers at Epic Arts, Sokny, is a woman with a disability who would typically gains little respect from non-disabled people in the country. As a manager of the organisation she plays a key role in setting an example with regards to leadership and achievement for people, in particular women, with a disability in Cambodia.. Sokny said,

“As a person with a disability and a manager, one of my main roles is to encourage the staff and students at Epic with a disability. I want them to be strong and to believe in themselves. I can be a role model for them and show them that they can be successful.”

The performance team, Epic Encounters, also play a large role in sharing the ideas of inclusion through the work they do. Purely through movement they show people that those with and without disabilities can work on an equal level and that those with disabilities can cultivate desirable skills and in turn have value within society. The tour manager, Buntheng says,

“The performance team teach people about ability through the performances and show them that people with and without disabilities can work together equally.”

The students on the inclusive arts course also perform in the local communities and recognise the importance of performing the work they have created with others so that a wider audience they can learn about inclusion and ability. One student said,

“I want to do more performances, create more pieces of art and go to the villages and show people that firstly people with disabilities can do things and secondly that people with and without disabilities can work together.”

By sharing the work, that is created by students and performers at Epic Arts, in the public realm, it enables those people who see it to be presented with a different perspective on people with disabilities and then go on to present what they have seen to the rest of their community. A performance may be seen by 50 villagers, but each will return to their homes, schools and work places to deliberate the message with their families and a whole village soon will talk about what they have seen.

“It's such a big thing to share and show what we do, as people learn from it and go away and tell others and it also inspires people to do new things and understand what they could do with their lives.”

During my observations I often found that many people with disabilities in the villages the performance team visited had never met other people with disabilities and had no awareness that there may be other people like them. For them to see the performance team constructed to include people like them performing on stage or leading a workshop, they became aware of the possibilities for themselves.

When observing a parents day at the Special Education Project at Epic Arts, I witnessed many parents of children with learning disabilities learning about and reassessing the perceived possibilities for their child’s development and achievement. A staff member form the project said

“We invite parents to come and see work that has been created by the students and they are able to see what their child can do. This sharing is as much about educating the parents about the student’s capability as it is celebrating.”

Treat people equally

The third action that was seen as important in inclusive arts practice at Epic was to treat people equally. The idea of equality seems to be the basis of inclusion at Epic Arts and this way of acting forms the foundation of the work that happens in all areas. It was evident that without an understanding of true equality, fairness and homology, people cannot be embracing of others and therefore inclusion is not active. One person said

“It does not matter what job you have at Epic Arts, whether you are a manager or a caretaker, everyone is treated equally.”

This way of treating people equally runs through all areas of the organisation and one workshop participant said,

“When we first started the workshop I could see that everyone in the teaching group was on an equal level, those with disabilities led activities and so did those without.”

In the way that workshops at Epic Arts are taught, I could see that there was an equal responsibility placed the facilitators and everyone had a part to play, regardless of individual ability or disability. Epic Arts has both non-disabled and disabled people on its courses, in the office and in the performance team and those without disabilities are very aware that they work on a corresponding level with those people who do have a disability; those without disabilities do not view themselves as ‘helpers’ but as equivalent in status and value to their disabled colleges. One student said,

“I do not have a disability but I work equally with the other students to support them and they support me, I am not there to ‘help’ them create art, but I am part of the group and equal.”

One interesting point that was raised by a few peoplele who talked about equality was the importance of equal treatment of everyone and not giving special treatment to those with a disability. One student said that

“If we are to accept people with disabilities we should not change the way we behave such as not shout at them or not tell them when they do something wrong, this is not equal, we can support but not give special treatment.”

One staff member supported this thinking when he said,

“I think people feel bad about being negative towards people with disabilities, even if what they are doing is wrong.”

This concept of equal treatment of people in all areas and in all situations is something that people appear to be aware of at Epic Arts and people are clear to point out when anyone has done wrong regardless of the individuals circumstances. The managers at Epic Arts have to implement policies and follow procedures and they shared that at times this means giving people a warning or asking them to leave their position and that this goes for anyone regardless of ability. Staff talked about seeing ability not disability at Epic and seeing people as people and not a label, in doing this it means they must also see that everyone can achieve and also everyone can make mistakes, which is highlighted in this performer’s comment;

“When seeing all people as people, its important to see that everyone has ability and can achieve but also that everyone has the potential to make mistakes and do things wrong and we should treat each other equally.”

Encourage creative Interactions

The fourth action that people felt enabled successful inclusive arts practice at Epic Arts was the ability to encourage creative interactions between people. I will call this idea of creative interaction the ‘Creative Interaction Cycle’ and it was evident in a number of areas at Epic Arts and occurred at a number of different points in interviews and observations. One student described the way in which ideas move and change in a cycle between people, he said

“Different bodies move differently and this makes new things and these new things give us all other ideas, it just keeps moving around like that.”

I feel that this ‘Creative Interaction Cycle’ is particularity exciting within inclusive arts practice as there can be so many different elements to play with that emerge, transform and mutate in to something entirely different from its original state. I think one staff member explained it with lucidity when they said.

“The results from inclusive arts practice are unique as you have different people coming together with their differences, whether that is physically, mentally or culturally and creatively interacting to make something new.”

One workshop participant described her experience of the ‘Creation Interaction Cycle’ in action in a movement workshop saying that

“There was real mix of people, cultures and languages all working together, inspiring new ideas, sharing them, changing them and the creating something new.”

I think that the results of the ‘Creative Interaction Cycle’ working during an art project can be seen in the final piece of work that is achieved, this was explained by as one staff member when they said,

“What is important about people with a mixture of abilities and backgrounds joining together through the arts, is that they can make a physical representation of their creative partnership, whether this is a performance, a piece of music or a picture, they can physical show how the partnership and interaction has worked.”

Another staff member described the way in which ideas move and change from person to person as if they bounce from one place to another like water in space with no gravity, changing shape on impact each time, but not losing its form or ‘essence’. They said,

“In every area at Epic Arts, our ideas go around from one person to another and change and develop and this is how we solve problems and how we work as a team.”

Epic Arts manager, Sokny, explains that this creative interaction between people happens in the management of the organisation too, not just in creative based workshops. She said.

“We manage our organisation in an inclusive way, we do not have a director, which is in unusual in Cambodia, we have group of senior managers and they work together to lead the organisation. We pass ideas around to each other when we have a problem then work to find a solution together.”

This art piece was made by the inclusive arts students as part of an art week exploring the meaning of inclusive arts. 

As I observed the workshop, students explained to me that they felt that everyone's minds and bodies were different, but all linked together though creative ideas and that these ideas spread from person to person and changed shape. They expressed this concept through the piece of art created which reflects the creative interaction cycle that forms the way in which students and staff work at Epic Arts and was also a product of the ‘Creative Interaction Cycle’ itself.

In the next blog post, 'The Results (Part 3) - What personal skills need to be cultivated to enable successful inclusive arts practice at Epic Arts?', I will discuss the 'Personal Skills' that were believed to be required to enable successful inclusive arts practice at Epic Arts.