National Diversity Awards
We were thrilled to be nominated for the Community Organisation Award for Disability. Although we weren’t shortlisted this year, we received many votes
with heartwarming comments that underline the importance of the work we do. Here is a selection:
• Formidability is a forward thinking and vital organisation that works hard to widening access to the arts for all. Joanne works tirelessly to secure funding and promote her vision.
• No other opera company works with such a diverse company of disabled people, ensuring EVERY show is not only beautiful but creatively accessible with creative sign language and poetry audio description
• Very inclusive, high-quality work, and an attitude of saying YES to accessibility and then putting in research and great effort to make it happen.
• Fighting for inclusion and accessibility in an opera sector which pays less than lip service to the inclusion of disabled artists and audiences may frequently feel like pushing water uphill with a fork, but the formidable hearts, minds and voices of FormidAbility will not be silenced! Their work is too important to be overlooked and they are fully deserving nominees in this category.
• As both a fan of opera and a consumer of disabled-led art it means so much to me to see the work FormidAbility is creating. They are not only filling a space desperately needed in the sector, but also creating brilliant art while doing so.
• formidAbility is an amazing opera company led by disabled people who are making a real change in opera for both performers and audiences alike. Joanne is a wonderful person who I have had the opportunity to meet and interview a few times over the years and just hearing about the work formidAbility working on and put on to in many ways break down some of those barriers that myself as a registered blind person come across when accessing the arts is just amazing. I do think formidAbility deserve this award in recognition of all the work that they do in making opera and the arts accessible for everyone.
• I went to see Song in Sign and was blown away by how creative and out of the box their production was. Opera is for everybody and formidAbility can actually do something about this!
• formidAbility is doing amazing work not seen anywhere else in the opera industry. It is because of work like this that a future of true accessibility in opera will be possible. They deserve this recognition and more people deserve to hear about this amazing work.
Activity 2024-25
Our focus this year has been organisational development, establishing in the West Midlands and seeding partnerships for future artistic work. Establishing in the West Midlands
We have been building relationships with potential partners and collaborators in our new West Midlands home, including arts, community and educational organisations in the West Midlands:
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Our ethos and mission align very much with the CBSO’s work to break down barriers and bring classical music to new audiences. They are
• Allowing us to use CBSO Centre as our registered office address for no charge
• Supporting us in making connections with local partners and collaborators
• Interested in collaborating with us in future work, subject to funding University of Birmingham
• We are a member of Culture Forward, which brings the university together with cultural and educational organisations in Birmingham.
• Joanne delivered a guest seminar on inclusion in opera to postgraduate music students and staff at the University of Birmingham
As an alumna of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and following Song in Sign (2024) Joanne has been able to further develop formidAbility’s relationship with this institution. They are keen to support our work and are providing the venue free of charge for the research & development work we are undertaking in August this year.
National interest
National interest in formidAbility and our work continues to grow. We were approached by, and have been exploring potential work with high profile festivals, opera companies and orchestras.
Organisational Development
Diversifying and Training the Opera Workforce
This project is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. Project activity has two strands:
1. Recruitment of our new Affiliate Pool
We designed and ran an open recruitment process to create formidAbility’s new Affiliate Pool of opera singers, BSL-fluent actors, producers, access coordinators and stage managers. This is enabling us to get to know more of the outstanding professionals in the fields of opera, theatre and disability-led arts, and bring together a group of disabled and non-disabled Affiliates who will be our first port of call when we recruit and cast for future productions, outreach and advocacy work.
2. Professional Development Pilot with Creative Research & Development Some of the new Affiliates are coming together in August for four days of focused work including:
• BSL training
• Exploring new ways to integrate BSL with core operatic repertoire
• Creating “BSL in Opera”: a video glossary of BSL signs we find useful in an opera workplace
Board of Directors / Trustees
We are delighted to have welcomed Theodora Beckett to our Board.
As is a Founder who is paid for her work with formidAbility, Joanne Roughton-Arnold resigned from the Board in October in order to facilitate formidAbility’s application for charity status.
Charity Status
In July the Charity Commission advised that formidAbility’s application for charity status is being approved. This is the result of an enormous amount of work from the Trustees
(especially the Co-Chairs) and the CEO / Creative Director aided by her support workers. We were guided through this process by Jackie Elliman at the Independent Theatre Council and are immensely grateful to everyone who worked on this and to the industry professionals referees who providd letters of support.
Developing our People
CEO / Creative Director: BSL Level 3
Since incorporating in 2019, formidAbility’s work with and for the Deaf community has grown in ambition and reach. Joanne has been developing her skills in British Sign Language (BSL) and deepening her understanding of Deaf culture in order to be a better ally for the Deaf community and better communicate with Deaf colleagues. She will complete the final exams for Level 3 in September.
Advocacy
As a disability-led opera company aiming to be at the forefront of the movement for greater inclusion in the arts, we are seeking out opportunities to influence mainstream arts organisations by sharing our experience and advise on best practice. Joanne is available to appear on discussion panels and speak at events exploring access and inclusion in opera and the wider arts sector.
During 2024-25 Joanne has spoken about inclusion in opera at in-person and online events for:
• Sound Without Sight
• Northern Opera Group
• Engender Network