Elevate Kent & Medway

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Elevate Kent & Medway

Elevate - an accessible programme of events for artists and organisations working in inclusive and disabled-led arts in Kent & Medway.

Learn, share skills and network!

17/06/2026

Like the pink string in these images that creates a beautiful web of support between the group…

✨We’re better connected.

Elevate and the disability arts network have merged. We’ll now be called Elevate Disability Arts Network.

The merger is going to help us to…

✔️Share our strengths, time and resources to build a stronger network

✔️Be more easy to recognise by using the Elevate logo and pink branding

✔️Work together to deliver the Elevate conference as well as bring more activity and support year-round

Want to get in touch? (We’d love to hear from you!)

If you’re a disabled artist or work in inclusive or accessible practice in Kent or Medway, reach out through our socials or via our new email address:

➡️ [email protected]

18/05/2026

We had some rich conversations at our Open Space event, reconnecting with old friends and new faces.

Let us know if these ideas reflect your experiences in the comments.

🤝 Struggling to find the right access support is affecting lots of people. Image 1 shares some experiences:
“I need access support from people with lived experience”
“There’s no-one to discuss access needs with”
“We need more support for neurodivergent issues”

🫶 We also talked about the self-care we’re learning to put into place, with these ideas on image 2:
“I need time to stay quiet and empty my brain”
“I’ve learnt to speak to myself as I would to my daughter”
“You don’t have to do the dishes!”
“Sometimes you need to submit to the timing of things”

🌻 Organisational support plays a big part in shaping our working culture. Image 3 shows our participants’ experiences:
“Access needs to be embedded in collaborative practice”
“We need a change of culture”
“I’m alive because of organisational support”
“I had to humble myself to get help from the system”

📍We also discussed how we can stay connected across Kent and Medway. Image 4 shares these experiences:
“I don’t know where to connect with people socially”
“I’m not sure where to find out what’s on”
“Online work is the good thing the pandemic left”
“Everyone knows my name here, it’s lovely”
“Could we do ride shares?”

Quotes taken from participant discussion, but some have been edited for length and clarity.

What do you want to see from our network and in Elevate 2027?

21/04/2026

Come and share your ideas for the inclusive arts sector in Kent and Medway - there’s still time to book for our Open Space event on Sunday 10th May.

In a relaxed environment with fellow creatives, we’ll share thoughts:

💡What change do you feel needs to happen in our area?

💡What challenges have you been facing?

💡What activities do you want to see from Elevate and the Inclusive Arts Network?

Grab a coffee and share your Sunday with us!

⤴️ Booking link in our bio.

IDs:
1. A young white man with dark hair and a moustache sits cross-legged on the floor with one finger raised and his fingers to his chin as though he has a bright idea. The words “Got an idea?!” are at the top.
2. A woman with light brown skin and dark curly hair raises her eyebrows as she hands a bright blue squishy ball to a white woman with streaked blonde hair beside her. The words “We want to hear from you!” are at the bottom.

10/04/2026

How does an Open Space event work?

It’s a shared meeting hosted by us and led by everyone who participates so that we can hear ideas and experiences, and discuss them together.

It’s about creating a place for our community to feel connected, to learn from our shared knowledge, and support one another to grow our sector.

For Elevate Extra, it’s a chance to get together again and to make plans for our future work.

Follow the link in our bio to book your place. On Gulbenkian’s booking page there is a link to a form where you can share ideas you would like to discuss at the event.

Sunday 10th May
10.00am-1.00pm with breaks
Arrivals from 9.30am for anyone who wants a soft start
The Shed, Gulbenkian

[IDs:
1. Two people sit on the floor with notebooks, talking.
2. Two more people sit on chairs in a group discussion, one holding up a pen to make a point.
3. A host stands and talks to a group of people sitting on chairs in a circle, listening.
A pink banner extends across the bottom of all three images with the words Open Space Event - Sunday 10th May 10am-1pm]

27/03/2026

Booking now! Links in our bio.

For Elevate Extra this year, we have two events to get conversations started and ideas firing:

Weds 29th April
6.00-7.30pm
‘Work in Progress’ from Square Pegs Theatre Company
Gulbenkian Theatre
A new devised piece using verbatim material to address the experiences of disabled people looking for work. Followed by a Q & A.

Sun 10th May
10.00am-1.00pm
Open Space event
The Shed, Gulbenkian
A shared discussion group where everyone contributes to the agenda. What do you want to see in our sector?

Book your place now, and see us there!

[ID: A pink background with ‘Upcoming Events’ at the top, followed by thumbnail images, dates and details of the two events]

09/03/2026

Between funding streams, we’re getting ready to bring you Elevate Extra - a mini offering of Elevate events to help keep us connected while we plan the full conference for next year.

We’ll have two events in April and May, so watch this space to see what we have in store!

[ID: A white woman wearing a stripey T-shirt laughs as she catches a blue spiky ball. The words ‘Get ready for Elevate Extra!’ are written over a pink background with the mini Elevate ‘e’ at the top. The Gulbenkian Arts Centre logo is at the bottom.]

02/07/2025

That’s a wrap on Elevate 2025 💫

�An inclusive and accessible Slow Conference, Elevate brought together artists and audiences through 14 powerful events over 4 days – reaching over 400 people from Kent, Medway and Beyond.

We’re so proud of what was shared, felt, and created.�
Take a look at the official trailer – capturing just some of what unfolded during this year’s Elevate programme.

We’d like to say a big thank you to our partners and everyone who attended and made Elevate so special!

Arts Council England Gulbenkian Arts Centre Square Pegs Arts Confidance Stopgap Dance Company Attitude is Everything Creative Medway Covey Uni

11/04/2025

Looking back at Elevate 2025

As we reflect on this year’s Elevate programme, we’re filled with gratitude for the inspiring artists, powerful performances, and meaningful connections that have shaped the journey so far. From workshops and sharings to community gatherings and creative exchange, each moment has contributed to a vibrant year of movement and growth.

At the heart of Elevate is a commitment to inclusive and accessible arts in Kent and Medway — creating space for people of all backgrounds and experiences to connect, express, and thrive through dance and creativity.

Thank you to everyone who’s been part of it — whether you danced, shared, facilitated, or simply showed up. Here’s to continuing the momentum and building a stronger, more connected creative community.

Address

University Of Kent, Gulbenkian
Canterbury
CT27NB

Website

https://linktr.ee/elevatekandm

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