Winston Churchill Fellowship

On the 28th May, Development Director, Jane Latham traveled to London to receive her Winston Churchill Fellowship Medallion for her project Big Vision where she traveled across America identifying and creating opportunities for the visually impaired community in the UK.  Jane said ‘ It was truly a life changing experience and one that I hope will continue to develop for many years to come’

Since Jane’s travels, UCAN has shared audio with Perkins School for the Blind Radio and developed links with a number of organisations including Cre Out Reach who are based in Los Angeles.  A link to the Big Vision Report  http://www.wcmt.org.uk/reports/1045_1.pdf

VI VIPs Needed to Test UCAN GO Pilot App

Torch Theatre, Milford Haven
Monday 16th & Tuesday 17th June, 2pm – 7pm (drop-in)

UCAN Productions is a performance and creative arts co-operative for blind and partially sighted young people

We have been awarded funding to develop an accessible indoor navigation app with Calvium called UCAN GO. This is a user-led project directed by two of our VI VIP members, and the aim is to create an innovative solution that will assist people with low vision to independently visit arts venues, with confidence!

This is where we need your help…we’re developing an app for the Torch Theatre and we would like to invite you to test our app in this early stage of development.  We’re looking for honest feedback, discussion and ideas to co-create the app.  If you have any questions or you would like to come along on the Monday or Tuesday, between 2pm and 7pm, please email louise@ucanproductions.org or call 02920 870554. If you need assistance with travel please let us know and we will do all we can to help.

For further information about the project, we introduced the project here and Project Assistants Megan and Mared are posting monthly blog posts, click here to read their most recent post.

A UCAN Performance of A Child’s Christmas in Wales at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

On Saturday 11th January a very special UCAN production of Dylan Thomas’ A Child’s Christmas in Wales was performed to a packed out audience in the Richard Burton Theatre, The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.  We would like to congratulate the cast, who continue to astound us with their talent and professionalism, and say thank you to Arts Council Wales for funding this production as part of our Dylan Thomas’ A Child’s Christmas in Wales project (read more here).  We would also like to thank Cardiff University, School of Optometry and Vision Sciences for their ongoing support.

Invitation to A Child’s Christmas in Wales

The Mechanicals and The Fairies, with support from the BBC Performing Arts Fund

We are delighted to announce that UCAN Productions has been awarded funding through the 2013 BBC Performing Arts Fund community theatre scheme.  There are 58 community theatre winners across the UK and we are one of the four community theatre organisations in Wales to be awarded funding.

UCAN Productions is a performance and creative arts co-operative for blind and partially sighted children, young people and their friends.  At UCAN we have been awarded funding to develop a classic script led performance of The Mechanicals and The Fairies; an accessible part adaptation of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  This unique script led piece of theatre will be an exciting new challenge for our members and the final performance will take place in the Summer of 2014 as the centerpiece of our annual UCAN Perform Festival.

Miriam O’Keeffe, Director of the BBC Performing Arts Fund, said: “I think the arts are really important, socially. As a society it is something that can bring people together.  We support community groups and emerging talent. The money is made available through phone voting on BBC One entertainment shows, and we have an open applications process. This year we are supporting 19 theatre Fellows and 58 community theatre projects with over £430,000 spread right across the UK. 78% of those supported are based outside of London.  It’s been an amazing year, looking at the breadth of theatre happening around the country.”

We would like to say a big THANK YOU to the BBC Performing Arts Fund for supporting us!

To find out more about the BBC Performing Arts Fund and the other PAF winners, please go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/performingartsfund/posts/Theatre-scheme-winners-announced