Answering the 'Why' and 'How'

In this blog post I want to tell you why I want to do this research project and also how I intend to carry out the project by outlining my Aims and Objectives.

A student from the Inclusive Arts Course at Epic Arts Cambodia

The Why…...

During my time in Cambodia, I have found myself continually answering questions from visitors and participants such as, ‘What does Epic Arts actually do with the arts?’ and ‘What is inclusive arts?’ and at the same time hearing statements of ‘There is something different about the work Epic does.’ and ‘Every person really does count here.’ I feel the time has come to really identify what Epic Arts is doing that is unique at the end of a dusty track in the small town of Kampot. I strongly believe that what Epic Arts is doing and discovering is unique and it has a lot to share with other inclusive arts practitioners.

Epic Arts identifies itself as an ‘international, inclusive arts NGO’, and I believe that a project that researches the perception, experience and practices of the students, facilitators and programme managers at Epic Arts Cambodia, will reveal a clearer identity and understanding of the work the organisation carries out. I also feel that this research and the resulting information will be invaluable to congruous organisations and practitioners in the UK as they work with Epic Arts and discover and share what each partner organisation does through presentations, discussions, workshops and performances. I believe that all participating partners in this project will develop a clearer understanding of inclusive arts and inclusive arts practices. 

Community Arts programme participant from Epic Arts Cambodia

I have been in conversation with Alice Fox, course leader for the MA Inclusive Arts Practice at the University of Brighton, who commented on the lack of published research in to the area of inclusive arts.  This has resulted in her being commissioned by the Arts Council to edit a book about Inclusive Arts. I feel that this Masters level research project will add to the quantity of information available on the subject of inclusive arts and will benefit and add to the current discourse in this area. The UK Board of Trustees for Epic Arts also believe that now is the time for Epic Arts to produce some academically sound research about what it is doing and feels that this will develop the standing of Epic Arts within the international arts scene.

I hope that through the combined discussions with practitioners in both Cambodia and the UK through this project, differences and similarities will be highlighted and this will inform practitioners from both countries on the perceptions, experiences and practices of inclusive arts that exist. In addition to this, I want to create links between the practitioners working in inclusive arts in both countries; generating future cross-cultural links and possible learning exchanges with organisations and educational institutions to benefit both parties   

An Inclusive Arts student paints the face of a community
event participant at Epic Arts Cambodia

The How……

What are my Aims?

1. Explore the approaches to inclusive arts at Epic Arts Cambodia
2. Present the results of this investigation in Cambodia publically to a world-wide audience
3. Present the results of this investigation in Cambodia personally to congruous organisations in the UK
4. Explore the approaches to inclusive arts at organisations congruous to Epic Arts in the UK
5. Compare and reflect on the approaches to inclusive arts of Epic Arts and congruous organisations in the UK
6. Report on the comparisons between approaches to inclusive arts at Epic Arts and at congruous organisations in the UK

Epic Arts Staff member at a community event in Cambodia

What are my Objectives?

1.1 - Through a qualitative research approach in the form of interviews, activity observations and facilitated discussions, I will investigate the perceptions, experiences and practices of activity participants, facilitators and programme managers at Epic Arts Cambodia over an 8-month period to tell the personal stories and uncover the real experiences of the people at the organisation.  

1.2 - I will investigate what necessary attitudes and subsequent practices are believed to bring about successful inclusive art practice and what attitudes and subsequent practices are believed to hinder the practice.

An Inclusive Arts student from Epic Arts
at a performance in Cambodia 

2.1 - I will publish an on-going public, reflective blog that will collate, critically analyse and reflect on the processes used, information collected and the learning that takes place through the investigation.

2.2 - On the blog I will record and reflect on my personal learning journey and the understanding that I gain from interactions with people at Epic Arts with a focus on discovering what are the necessary attitudes and resulting practices that people at Epic Arts believe bring about successful inclusive art practice and what are attitudes can hinder the practice.

A student from the Special Education Project at
Epic Arts watches a performance

3.1 - The information collected in Cambodia will form a presentation about Epic Arts that I will deliver to each partner organisation in the UK during an Epic Arts UK-wide performance and workshop tour in November 2014.

3.2 - The presentation will enable the personal stories and experiences of inclusive arts participants, facilitators and programme managers in Cambodia to be shared in order that practitioners in the UK can understand and learn about the ideas, concepts, methods and personal attitudes that Epic Arts implements or promotes.

3.3 - The presentation will share the personal attitudes and the resulting practices that project participants believe enable successful inclusive arts at Epic Arts in Cambodia, alongside those attitudes that are believed to hinder practice.

Students from the Inclusive Arts Course at Epic Arts performing in Cambodia

4.1 - Through further qualitative research in the form of interviews, activity observations, facilitated discussions and practical data collection activities with participants, facilitators and programme managers at the partner organisations we visit in the UK, I will discover what necessary attitudes and subsequent practices are believed to be required to make inclusive arts successful within the UK and what attitudes hinder inclusive arts practice in the UK.

4.2 - I will critically analyse the results of the UK based research to determine the personal learning and the key discoveries that are made. The results of this will be recorded on the public blog.

Local children watch an outside performance by Epic Encounters 

5.1 - On my return to Cambodia in January 2015, I will begin to compare the similarities and differences between information collected from Epic Arts Cambodia and congruous organisations in the UK.

5.2 - On the public blog I will record my learning journey through the analysis of the data collected in both countries and I will discuss the differences and similarities in perceived attitudes and subsequent practices that can enable inclusive arts practice within both countries and also those attitudes that can hinder practice. 

5.3 - I will implement the process of critical reflection with all the information gathered.  From describing, analysing and finally critically examining the combination of the descriptive and analytical information I will discover new meanings and form clear ideas of how all the information gathered can impact and inform future practise and understanding

An audience member enjoys a recent parade by Epic Arts in Cambodia

6.1 - In April 2015 I will publish a written report and accompanying short film documenting the project and its results. This report will be published in English, Khmer, a simple picture format and audio formats to make it accessible to all participants. The report will be made available to all participants and will be available to download on the Epic Arts website.

6.2 - I will share the report to all partners involved in the project and to key organisations and policy makers in the UK and Cambodia. By making the report public I hope that the research will influence the political debates and policy surrounding disability arts, integrated arts and inclusive arts as a whole and will also influence policy makers outlining inclusion and equality requirements in areas such as education, the arts, health and business. Overall I hope that this report and short film will not only make an impact on artists and arts mangers, but on society as a whole by discussing the attitudes we must all cultivate in order to create a truly inclusive society in which we can all live.

The Inclusive Arts students performing at a recent community event in Cambodia

Thank you for reading this blog post. Please do add any comments or feedback to the blog or contact me at laura@epicarts.org.uk

Some background information about the project and Epic Arts in Cambodia

In this blog post I would like to introduce my project to you in more detail, starting first with an Executive Summary of the project:

During a visit to Cambodia in 2012, I unexpectedly stumbled across Epic Arts and now, 12 months later, I find myself employed as the Arts Advisor and Senior Manger for the Cambodia office and I have no plans to leave just yet. So what was so special about Epic Arts that made me leave my job, my home and my family to move half way around the world to be a part of it? I believe it was Epic Art's unique attitude and approach to creating an inclusive society through the arts that drew me in.

“Epic Arts is an inclusive arts organisation that brings together people with and without disabilities.Epic Arts is unique in working both in the UK and internationally, and across art forms. In all the countries we work in we use the arts as a form of expression and empowerment, and to create a dialogue within those cultures around disability issues.” (www.epicarts.org.uk)

A dancer from the inclusive arts team 'Epic Encounters' leads a workshop in a rural village

Since 2007, Epic Arts has been using the phrase ‘inclusive arts’ and I want to explore what this means in reality at Epic Arts Cambodia through this Masters project. I want to delve in to the hearts and minds of the people who deliver, participate in and who are affected by the inclusive arts work that Epic Arts does, in order that I may be able to clearly identify the inclusive arts vision of the organisation. Further more I want to share these findings and practices with corresponding organisations and higher education departments in the UK in order to widen the discourse of inclusive arts in the UK and to further inform the practices of Epic Arts and those of the UK partners we connect with.

Epic Encounters performing 'Moto Moto' in Phnom Penh

This project will be a two-part process of discovery; starting with an in-depth investigation at Epic Arts Cambodia, that will explore the approaches to inclusive arts that are used on a daily basis. This will be followed by a tour of 15 congruous organisations and Universities in the UK, with a team of artists from Epic Arts Cambodia. On this tour further research will be carried out at the organisations and Universities; practices will be shared though presentations, that I will deliver, and this be will accompanied by workshops and performances from the professional ‘Epic Encounters’ performance team from Epic Arts Cambodia.

Through this project, I hope to clearly identify the vision of Epic Arts and it’s approaches to inclusive arts and to share and compare the vision and approaches with UK organisations and Universities, with the same outlook, in order to add to the current dialogue in inclusive arts. I also hope to make strong long-term partnerships with the organisations we visit, allowing for exchanges, further research and work placements or study opportunities in the future for all involved.

In inclusive arts team, Epic Encounters, delivering a workshop in Phnom Penh

As well as introducing you to my project in this blog, I also want to give you some background on Epic Arts:

Where did Epic Arts, Cambodia come from?

Epic Arts is an international, inclusive arts NGO that was founded in 2001 in the UK, with its first project taking place in China.  In 2003, Epic Arts opened a small office in Kampot, Cambodia, when one of the founders, Katie MaCabe moved to the country. She established the Epic Arts Café, which acted as an example of an inclusive working environment employing both disabled and non-disabled people from the local community of Kampot. The small room above the café became a place for the first inclusive arts workshops that Epic Arts delivered. In 2008 Epic Arts produced SPOTLIGHT: An Asian Festival of Inclusive Arts, which was a multi-arts programme that brought together people of all abilities in South East Asia within a mainstream arts festival environment. The festival aimed to,

 “….promote integration of people of all abilities and disabilities through utilising the arts as a form of expression and empowerment.” (Spotlight: An Asian Festival of Inclusive Arts. Final Report 2008)

In 2009, Epic Arts received funding to build a fully accessible arts centre in Kampot, which was the first of its kind in South East Asia. The centre housed a vocational training programme in the arts for students with disabilities and also a Special Education programme for children and young adults with learning difficulties. It was also the hub for a number of community arts projects in the area, which brought disabled and non-disabled people together through Dance, Drama and Art workshops and performances in the local community. Through the centre and the training programme, Katie MaCabe was successful in starting to succeed in her mission,

“…to change public attitudes by training and showcasing disabled performing artists”, through “engaging both disabled and able-bodied children in physical theatre, shadow puppetry and arts and crafts.”(Turnball. 2008)

Epic Encounters performing 'Moto Moto' in a rural village

When I first visited Cambodia in August 2012 and attended the open day at the Epic Arts Centre. I was struck by the ‘inclusiveness’ of the place, the people and the work being produced. This was not just about ‘integrating’ disabled people in to a non-disabled environment, but was a fully inclusive working and learning environment. The motto of Epic Arts is ‘Every Person Counts’ which was never truer than in the centre I visited. From the students, to the teachers, and from the cleaning staff to the office staff there was true inclusion at every turn and the arts based work being produced and delivered was of the same vain.

Epic Encounters perform 'Sit with Me' on a roof top stage in Phnom Penh

During my time so far at Epic Arts in Cambodia, I have been witness to a multitude of inclusive practices on a daily basis and I have watched students with and without disabilities join the new Inclusive Arts Course at Epic and seen their development and their inclusive arts practices grow over the last year. It is in this context now that I wish to discover what essentially is at the core of the work Epic Arts does and discover where as a UK based charity, does it fit within the current conversations surrounding inclusive arts practices in the UK?

Epic Arts Cambodia and its performance and workshop team ‘Epic Encounters’ is planning to tour the UK in 2014 and I have been asked by the UK Board of Trustees to complete this piece of academic research to accompany the proposed tour.

What does Epic Arts do in Cambodia?

In Cambodia, Epic Arts has 3 main areas of work:

 Inclusive Education

 Community Arts

 Social Enterprise

Epic Arts workshop participants in a rural village in Cambodia

 Inclusive Education Programme

Epic Arts believes that every person counts and as an inclusive arts NGO, Epic promotes this message through the inclusive education programme in Cambodia which consists of the Inclusive Arts Course and the Special Education Project

Inclusive Arts Course (IAC)

Students from the deaf, disabled and non-disabled community are studying a Arts based education program in Dance, Theatre, Art and Literacy. Epic hope the IAC students will become advocates for a more inclusive society in the Future.

Special Education Project (SEP)

The Special Education Project offers creative and educational programs to children and young people with learning disabilities in Kampot. The daily classes help students develop life skills, participate in creative arts, learn literacy and numeracy, and develop friendships. There are two groups – Peace Class and Independence Class

Community Arts Programme

Epic Arts provides a wide range of free activities for the local community and believes in spreading the message that every person counts to the villages and communes beyond the walls of Epic Arts Centre. 

Weekly Community activities:

Epic provides weekly movement classes for students with learning disabilities held each week at the Epic Arts Centre. There are two classes for two different age groups

A Epic workshop leader works with a student with learning difficulties 

A free sign language class is open to the local community and visitors to Kampot. The class is held in the upstairs lounge of the Epic Café every week.

Epic's Cambodian Sign Language interpreter teaching a weekly class

Other Community activities:

Epic provides workshops in movement, drama art in rural communities free of charge for the participants. These workshops are used to teach about disability and also educate Cambodian people on key issues such as health.

Workshop participants in a rural village share what they have created 

Bespoke community performances from our professional team are delivered in rural villages and at large scale community events locally and nationally free of charge and encourage the understanding and acceptance of disabilities as well as educating people about key issues in Cambodia.

A performance from the Epic Encounters team in Battambang, Cambodia

Social Enterprise Programme

Epic Arts want to be sustainable and not rely purely on donor funding. The profits from the small businesses that are part of this programme are reinvested into Epic to help the work to continue

Epic Encounters

Is the first fully inclusive contemporary performance company in South East Asia. 

Epic Encounters – Performances

The Epic Encounters performers create dance and theatre based on issues facing Cambodia and perform them for the community and international audiences

Epic Encounters – Workshops

The Epic Encounters team deliver inclusive arts workshops throughout Cambodia and abroad to children and adults.

Epic Arts Café

A model for an inclusive working environment within the community, serving food and drink to travellers, expats and locals alike

Creative Enterprise Programme

A learning programme for students, staff and the community, which provides basic education and simple skills for creative business development. Products developed on the programme are sold under the ‘Epic Creations’ brand and profits go back in to Epic’s programmes.

Thank you for reading, please do leave a comment or contact me directly for more information or discussion:

laura@epicarts.org.uk