man and the machineEvaluation Report by Paul SwiftMarch 2012

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‘tackle the social exclusion suffered by people with learning disabilities by promoting, amongst other things, their rights to full citizenship, person-centred approaches to the support they receive, and through the modernisation of traditional, segregated day services’

contents6 Background

9 OutsideInPathways

10 Piloting

12 HowtheevaluationofMan&Machinewascarriedout

14 TheArtisticProgramme

18 TheVenues:V&AandTheScienceMuseum

20 Meetingtheneedsandaspirationsofthepaticipants

25 SocialCareSupport

26 Conclusions

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Over the course of the last decade national social care policy, articulated in Valuing People and Valuing People Now, has set out to tackle the social exclusion suffered by people with learning disabilities by promoting, amongst other things, their rights to full citizenship, person-centred approaches to the support they receive, and through the modernisation of traditional, segregated day services. Individual Budgets and direct payments offer the potential for disabled people to have a greater degree of choice and control over the support they receive and how they spend their time, and encourage greater use of mainstream public facilities.

background

AtthesametimeobligationshavealsobeenplaceduponpublicservicesandamenitiesintheformoftheDisabilityEqualityDuty(DED)toensurethatdisabledpeoplearetreatedequallyandfairly.Specifically,theymust:

promoteequalityofopportunitybetweendisabledpeopleandotherpeople

eliminatediscriminationthatisunlawfulundertheDisabilityDiscriminationAct

eliminateharassmentofdisabledpeoplethatisrelatedtotheirdisability

promotepositiveattitudestowardsdisabledpeople

encourageparticipationbydisabledpeopleinpubliclife

takestepstomeetdisabledpeople’sneeds,evenifthisrequiresmorefavourabletreatment.

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Whilemuchoftheemphasisinpoliciespromotingsocialinclusionhavefocuseduponaccessforpeoplewithphysicaldisabilities,thereisanincreasingrealisationthatpeoplewithlearningdisabilitiesareoftenunabletomakefulluseofpublicservicesbecauseappropriatesupportisnotavailableforthemtodoso.Specifically,museumsandgallerieshavebegunthinkingabouthowtheycanimproveaccesstotheircollectionsforpeoplewithlearningdisabilities.Educationalprogrammes,guidedtours,andaccessibleinformationareusefulstartingpointsandsomegallerieshavedevotedspaceandexhibitiontimetoartistswithlearningdisabilities.

Commissionersoflearningdisabilityservicesarelookingtofundalternativestocentre-baseddayservicesundertheGovernment’sagendaformodernisingdayservices,andasmallbutgrowingnumberofpeoplewithlearningdisabilitiesareusingDirectPaymentstopurchasedaytimesupport.InmostinstancesDirectPaymentsareusedtoemployapersonalassistant.However,theymayalsobeusedtopurchasealternativestolocalauthoritydayservicesincludingbeingsupportedtopursueartisticaspirationsinmuseumsandgalleries.

OutsideInPathways(OIP)wassetuptoworkwithmuseumsandgalleriestoprovideartistic,educationalandsocialopportunitiesforpeoplewithlearningdisabilities.Itdoesthisbyfacilitatingaccesstomuseumandgallerycollectionsandbyactivelysupportingpeopletouseandenjoythem.Tailoringactivitiestotheneedsofpeoplewithlearningdisabilitiescreatesanewaudienceformuseumsandgalleries.Thisentailsraisingtheawarenessofmuseumandgallerystaff,socialcareproviders,familiesandthegeneralpublicabouttheneedsofpeoplewithlearningdisabilities,especiallyaroundcommunicationandtherolethatmuseumsandgalleriescanplayinreducingsocialisolation.

Byusingthepublicspacesinmuseumsandgalleriesforworkshops,rehearsalsandperformancesandbyemployingmainstreamartists,performersandtechnicianstoleadthework,OIPaimstopromotethecitizenshipofpeoplewithlearningdisabilities.Manypeoplewithlearningdisabilitieseithercannotordowishtotakethetraditionalroutestosocialinclusionthroughemploymentandindependentliving.Yettheymaydevelopfeelingsofattachmentandbelongingthroughtheuseofartisticspaces1.Areviewofsimilarprojectsconcludedthat‘artisticcreationhasgivenvoicetothemarginalizedandtherebybroughtthemrightintothehallowedhallsoftheculturalestablishment’2.

outside in pathways

Hall,E.(2010)‘Spacesofsocialinclusionandbelongingforpeoplewithintellectualdisabilities’Journal of Intellectual Disability Research,54:1,48-57Lemos,G.(2011)‘Create-Ability:thechangingmeaningofart&artistryLondon’City Bridge Trust,p36

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The programme of activities for Man & Machine had been piloted with the V&A museum. Digital still cameras, video cameras and professional film equipment were used to encourage up to 30 participants to interact with the museum, its artefacts, the general public and with each other.

piloting Theprogrammewasdesignedtoencourageparticipantstogenerateandusetheirownideasforthecontentofafilmillustratingtheirexperiencesofthemuseum.Anevaluationofthepilotfoundthatthepeoplewiththemostcomplexneedsengagedmorewiththeirsurroundingsandweremoreattentiveinthemuseumthaninotherenvironments.ThebenefitsforthemoreableparticipantsweregenerallypositivebutlesspronouncedasitwasdifficulttoseparatetheeffectofattendancesattheOIPsessionsfromtheeffectsofexperiencesandactivitiesinotherareasoftheirlives.

Anumberofpositiveoutcomeswereidentifiedbytheevaluationofthepilotproject:somepeopleimprovedtheirabilitytodraw,paintandcommunicate,whileallshowedimproved‘mood’.Carersalsonotedanincreaseinsocialactivityandagreaterwillingnesstotravelonpublictransportandusepublicamenities.Interactionwithotherpeoplegrew.Theirabilitytoexploreartefactsincreasedaspeopleinteractedwiththemandtheyexploredtheconnections

betweenthemselvesandtheexhibits.Thisinspireddramaticinteractionwithartefacts(acting)andmovementaroundandbetweenobjectsandthree-dimensionalspace.Cooperativeworkingemerged,eitherinpairs–thecameraoperatorandthesubject–oraspartofalargergroup.Peoplealsolearnedtomakegroupdecisions,abouteditingforexample,sharinginterestsinmusicandsupplyingmusicalideastobeaddedtothefilm.

Thepilotprojectraisedawarenessoftheimportanceofnon-verbalformsofcommunicationforpeoplewithhighersupportneeds.Itwasalsoanopportunityforpeopletolearnabouttheculturaldiversityofourheritageandexperiencingwaysofseeingfromotherculturalperspectivesandinterpretingtheminanon-judgmentalway.Theparticipantswerefromvariousethnicbackgroundsandwewereabletofindsomeartefactsformallthesebackgroundsinthemuseum.

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how the evaluation of man & machine was carried out

The evaluation sought to answer three principal questions about Man & Machine:

Did the project do what it set out to do? This is sometimes referred to as the ‘Ronseal’ test.

What was the impact of the project upon the different groups taking part or contributing to it?

What were the factors that helped and what were the factors that limited the conduct of the project?

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Evidencetosupporttheevaluationwascollectedinseveralways.Firstly,byattendingandparticipatinginasampleofthesessionsandworkshopsrunbyOIPattheV&AandtheScienceMuseum.Thishelpedtheevaluatorunderstandhowtheprojectwasdelivered,toassessthequalityoftheartisticandeducationalcontent,andtomonitortheimpactoftheprojectasitprogressed.Secondly,interviewswerecarriedoutwiththeparticipants(wherepossible)theirsupporters,OIPstaffandcuratorialstaffatthemuseums.Interviewswereconductedonthebasisthatviewsandopinionswouldbeusedanonymously

intheevaluationreport.Thirdly,byreviewingfilmandphotographicmaterialgeneratedduringtheproject.Fourthly,byattendingperformancesoftheMan & Machine‘mini—opera’attheV&AandtheScienceMuseumsinJanuaryandFebruary2012wheremembersoftheaudiencewereaskedfortheirreactions.

Themainfindingsfromtheevaluationfallintofourbroadareas:thevalueoftheartisticprogramme;theimpactofthevenues;theextenttowhichtheprojectmettheneedsandaspirationsoftheparticipants;andtheroleandqualityofthesocialcaresupportavailabletothem.

The evaluation has been carried out by Dr Paul Swift an independent researcher who specialises in social inclusion for people with learning disabilities. His role has been one of ‘critical friend’ to the project, providing feedback to the project leader at regular intervals. He is also preparing a separate report on the implications of Man & Machine for local authority commissioners.

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Severalaudiencemembersatthefinalperformances(ofthe‘mini-opera’)commentedonhowwelltheprogrammehadbeenputtogether.Theprogrammeintroducedparticipantstoarangeofnewtechniques,skillsandexperiences:usingdigitalcameras(stillandvideo),photocollage,designingsetandcostumemaquettes,script-writing,choreography,dancingandsinging.Oneofthefeatureswasthevarietythatitofferedtoparticipants,enablingeachtotryoutandfindactivitiesthatinterestedthem.OneoftheOIPstaffsuggestedthatthis‘trialanderror’approachwasthemostappropriatewaytointroducepeoplewithmoreseveredisabilitiespeopletonewexperiences.Thiswasreflectedinthetestimonyofsomeofthepeoplesupportingparticipantstoattendtheproject:

‘Some of the things they did he wasn’t so interested in, but he loved the singing. It’s worthwhile coming cos he looked forward to that so much’. (Supporter)

the artistic programmeThe artistic programme for Man & Machine was well-structured, varied and coherent, with a clear rationale about the construction of artefacts and performances iterated throughout.

‘It is amazing how many different activities there are to do here. I didn’t realise what these museums have to offer. It makes me think we should do more of this.’ (Supporter)

Theevaluationalsofoundevidencetosupportthecontentionthattheprogrammewasdesignedtoensurethattheparticipantsinfluencedtheoutputsoftheproject.Duringtheearlystagesparticipantsandsupportersreportedtheirenjoymentatselectingandreproducingimagesforinclusioninthecollagesandmaquettes.Theprofessionalartistswereimpressedbytheconfidenceofthegroupandtheircreativityduringthesongwritingphase,andseveralaudiencemembersnotedhowthecatalogueproducedforthemini-operaclearlyindicatedtheownershipoftheeventbytheparticipants.AsoneOIPstaffmemberputit:

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TheprojectalsoconfirmedLemos’sobservationabouttheimportanceofhighqualityartisticinputtowardsthesuccessofsuchprojects.Participants,theirsupporters,OIPstaffandaudiencesallcommendedtheroleoftheartiststakingpart:

‘Her voice was amazing – fantastic, the way that it soared up into the gallery. So effective in here.’(Audiencemember,V&A)

‘This was such an opportunity because it ain’t often you get the chance to work with proper artists, and she’s a professional singer.’ (Supporter)

‘The best thing about this is the people here.’ (Participant)

‘The teachers and practitioners are all very accomplished in their fields although most have experience of working with people generally and people with learning disabilities. The relationship, the exchange, between them and the group has been fascinating.’ (MemberofOIPstaff)

Therewasbroadagreementthatwhilethepassageoftheprogrammehadnotalwaysbeenassmoothasanticipated–andthetimetablehadslipped–steadyprogresshadbeenmadefromtheinitialscopingofartefactsatthetwomuseums,recordingandcollatingmaterial,scriptdevelopmentanduseofvariousmediaandtechniquesaheadofthefinalperformancesofthemini-operainJanuaryandFebruary2012.

‘The way the project was constructed, each part of it, allows the group to put their take on the ideas so that the finished mini-opera is a distillation of all sorts of things that people have put in’.16

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SeveralofthesupporterscommentedonthecontrastbetweenthestimulatingenvironmentsoftheV&AandtheScienceMuseumcomparedtothoseexperiencedbyparticipantsintheirnormaldaytimeroutine.Participantsexpressedenjoymentatspendingtimeinthevenueseitherverbally,withgestures,intheirbodylanguageorthroughbehaviours.Individualswereinspiredbydifferentexhibitsandartefacts–theDiaghelevexhibition,ImperialChineserobes,theflightsimulatorsandsoon–aswellasthespacessuchastheEnergyHallatTheScienceMuseum.TheV&Acaféwasparticularlyappreciatedasagoodplacetomeetandtakerefreshments.

the venues: v&a and the science museum

‘This place (the V&A) is amazing. We, well I certainly get a buzz every time I come here. This lot must think it’s great’. (Supporter)

‘Noisy! Too noisy for me, especially here in the café. I’m not sure about him; he doesn’t seem to mind, but it’s difficult to tell. There’s more space at the Science Museum. Perhaps he goes there at other times, I don’t know, but he gets excited there.’(Supporter)

‘Here the group are in a situation where there are ordinary people who are interested in the museum: the quality of the museum and the interest of everybody else rubs off. People get absorbed by that. A bi-product of that is that people feel relaxed in this atmosphere. Two years on, people feel this (the museum) is a place they are very happy to be in.’ (OIPstaffmember)

Manyofthecontributorstotheevaluationmadepositivecommentsabouthowmuseumstaffhadworkedactivelytoaccommodatethegroupandensureitwasabletouseallthefacilitiesofthemuseumandtointeractwiththeexhibits.OIPstaffappreciatedtherespectanddignityshowntoparticipants.Thiswasexemplifiedbyanincidentduringthefirstyearoftheprogrammewhenoneoftheparticipantsfoundherselflostinthemuseumandsecuritystaffactedsensitivelytoreassureherandkeephersafe.TheOIPteamhavebeenabletonegotiatewithmuseumstafftoovercomeminorproblemsofusingabusypublicbuildingtohostthissortofinitiative.

ManagerswithresponsibilityforequalityandaccessissuesatboththeV&AandtheScienceMuseumhavewelcomedMan & Machine asapracticalillustrationofhowpeoplewithdisabilitiescanbeengagedcreativelyinthelifeoftheinstitutions.TheyhavecomplimentedthedriveandenthusiasmoftheOIPteamleaderandhadbeenimpressedbytheacclaimforpreviousproductionsfromtheOIPteam.Hostingtheinitiativewassaidtobegoodforstaffmoraleandhadprovidedanimportantopportunitytodevelopthemuseums’commitmenttodisabilityequality.OIPstaffandaudiencemembersalsocommenteduponthepositivesymbolismofthegroupperformingthemini-operaduringpublicopeneveningsatthetwomuseumsalongsideavarietyofotherevents.

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Thetimescaleforaprojectinvolvingpeoplewitharangeoflearningdisabilitieswaswell-judgedtoaidunderstandingandbreedaspiritofcooperationandtrustbetweentheparticipants.TheOIPstaffwereexperiencedinworkingwithpeoplewitharangeofintellectualimpairmentsandappropriatecommunicationtechniqueswereusedwhenworkingwiththeparticipants.Visitingartistshadmorevariedexpertiseinworkingwithpeoplewithlearningdisabilities,butadaptedwelltotheneedsofthegroup.Theinterimevaluationsuggestedthatmoreindividualworkmightneedtobedonewithparticipantswithparticularneeds,suchasautism,whichintheearlystagesoftheprojectseemedtoinhibitthecontributiontheywereabletomakewithingroupsettings.Thispointwasaddressedinthelatterstagesofthe

meeting the needs and aspirations of the participants

project.Forexample,oneofthesingerswasparticularlyadeptatincludingwithamanwithautism(P)inthepreparationforthefinalperformances,afterwhichshecommented:

Attendancebyparticipantswasgoodthroughouttheprojectandthoseabletoexpressanopinionreportedahighlevelofinterestatvariouspointsintheevaluation.Supportersandcarestaffforparticipantswhowereunabletoexpressanopinionweremoremixedintheirassessmentoftheinterestdisplayedbyparticipantshowever.ThisseemedtoreflectalackofconfidenceamongstsomesupportstaffabouttheirroleintheactivitiespursueddespitetheeffortsofOIPstafftoinductandguidethemduringsessions,andsomeoftheagencysupportstaffwereunfamiliarwiththelikes,preferencesandwishesofthepeopletheyweresupporting.

Intheearlystagesoftheproject,manyofthesupporterswereunsureabouttheartisticaspirationsofparticipants;whethertheirmotivationfortaking

partwasdrivenbyadesiretoengagewiththeartisticactivitiesofferedbytheprogrammeorwhethertheysimplyenjoyedspendingtimeawayfromtheirhomeareaandtheirnormalroutines.Thedegreeofdisabilityaffectingtheparticipantsseemedtoinhibitsomesupporters’confidenceintheirpotentialtoengagewiththework.However,othersnotedthatparticipantswoulddisplayarangeofemotionsandreactionstotheactivities,oftensosmallastobeindiscernible.

Keytounderstandingthiswasthesupporters’knowledgeoftheperson,closeobservationalskillsandexperienceofworkingwithpeoplewithhighersupportneeds.Onedescribedhowoneoftheolderparticipantscouldbeeasilyoverlookedasshetendednottovolunteermuchduringsessions,preferringtostay

‘I’ve been amazed at how the group has developed over the last year or so. Look at P tonight; he sang every note. Even though he is often in the background at rehearsals, I know how much he wanted to do his solo tonight.’(Singer)

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inthebackground.Tothecasualobserverthiswomanappearedtoderivelittlebenefitfromherattendanceatsessions,yetthesupporterwasabletodetailsubtlechangesinhermoodduringhervisitstothemuseums.Thesupporterhadalsofollowedthroughtoassesstheimpactoftheprojectuponthiswomanmoregenerallyandfoundthattheprojecthadbecomeahighlightofherweekandkeenlyanticipated.Similarly,aparentattendingoneofthefinalperformancestalkedaboutthedifficultyofgaugingtheimpactofMan & Machine uponherdaughterbecauseofshelikedtokeepheractivitiesprivate.Nevertheless,inthecourseoftheprecedingtwoyearsshehadbecomeawareofthesenseofachievementthatherdaughterfeltatreachingthemilestoneofperformingthemini-opera:

‘Although she wasn’t keen on us being here tonight, I’m proud of what she has done and wanted to see it come together.’

Audiencemembersatthefinalperformancewereperhapsamorerepresentativeofthosewhoknowtheparticipantswell,includingfamilymembers,friends,housematesandsocialcareprofessionals.Theverdictofthisconstituencywasemphaticallythattheprojecthadprovedanoverwhelminglypositiveexperienceforthosetakingpart.

‘I’ve known her since she was a small girl and she was always a good singer. She has really come on in the last two years. She has spent so much time here that when we arrived it was ‘follow me’. Being here she is so relaxed, so much more confident.’ (Familyfriend)

‘I’m not sure how she first heard about this – it may have been (day centre). This is the first time I’ve been here, but I know how much she loves it. She gets really excited about coming.’ (Residentialcareworker)

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Thiswascorroboratedbytheparticipantsthemselveswhocouldallpointtosomeaspectoftheprogrammethattheyhadparticularlyenjoyed:

FromthepointofviewofOIPstaff,themajorachievementoftheprojecthasbeentheprogressionofpeople’sskillsandthegrowthintheirconfidencetotakeonnewchallenges.ThiswasnotsimplyaproductofMan & Machine, butalsoareflectionofthetrustandconfidencebuiltupbetweenOIPstaffandtheparticipantsoveralongperiodoftime.

‘My favourite song? Snake in the peas!’

TheOIPstaffteamworkedtoenthuseandguidesocialcarestaffwhileintheV&A,butsomeagencystaffappeareddisengagedanddisinterestedintheproject.Changesinsupportpersonnelalsodisruptedthecontinuityofthegroup’sworkasnewmembersofstaffhadtobeinductedintotheprojectworkandtheOIPcoordinatorwasobligedtospendmoretimethananticipateddealingwithissuesrelatingtosocialcaresupportforparticipants.However,duringthecourseoftheprojectOIPstaffcametounderstandthequalitiesinsocialcaresupportworkersthatarevitalforthistypeofproject–theseincludedpatience,attentiveness,creativityandtheabilitytoworkflexiblywithindividualsandgroups.TheOIPcoordinatorcommentedupontheexcellentsupportprovidedbyonesupporterinparticularandhowhercontributionhadenhancedtheexperienceoftheprojectforparticipants.ShealsoreportedthatMan & Machine hadprovidedimportantlearningpointsabouttherecruitment,retentionandsupervisionofsocialcaresupportforartisticprojects.

social care support

DayservicesmanagersfromWandsworthBoroughreviewedtheprojectpositively,believingithelpsmeettheirtargetsforprovidingsociallyinclusivesupporttopeoplewithlearningdisabilitiesintheBoroughincreativeandmeaningfulways.Somepracticalissuesreducedthetimeavailableforgrouptopursuetheartisticmissionoftheproject,includinginconsistentarrivalanddeparturetimesofparticipants,lackofnotificationaboutnon-attendanceandproblemswithtransporttoandfromthemuseum,andpersonalissuesbetweenmembersofthesupportstaff.MoreoversomeresidentialcareprovidersdidnotregardedsupportingparticipationinMan & Machineaspartoftheirremit.Twoimportantconsequencesflowedfromthesepracticalissues:firstly,thattheOIPteamleaderwasoftendistractedfromherprimarytaskofdeliveringtheartisticcontentoftheprogramme,andsecondly,sessionsweretruncated.Agreementhasbeenreachedtomountfurtherperformancesofthemini-operainWandsworthsothatmorefamily,friendsandothersupportersareabletoappreciatetheparticipants’achievement.

‘The difficulty at the beginning was knowing how far people would feel confident about performing and doing certain things. As is evident from what has gone on in the last three performances, it is something that people have really taken to – even those members of the group that are not that easy with it have joined in. Its encouraged a lot of people to do things they wouldn’t have done before.’

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Despitetheoverrunandtheproblemsexperiencedinbalancingthedeliveryoftheartisticprogrammewiththeprovisionoftherightsocialcaresupport,Man & Machineisapositivemodelofsocialinclusionforpeoplewithlearningdisabilities.Ithasdemonstratedhowmuseumscanstimulateandenthusepeoplewhohavebeenmarginalisedfrommainstreamculturalactivitiesandtherebydiversifytheiraudiences.KeytothesuccessoftheprojecthasbeentheroleplayedbyOIPinbrokeringtherelationshipbetweentheparticipantsintheproject,themuseumsandprofessionalartists.Good,clearprogrammingallowedparticipantstotryarangeofcreativeactivitiesandhonetheirskills.Abovealltheculminationoftheproject,inthreepublicperformances,clearlyenhancedtoself-confidenceofthosetakingpart.Theprojectprovidedimportantlearningabouthowsocialcaresupportcanbestcomplementtheartisticmissionofsuchprogrammesandhowindividualsupportersshouldbeselected,trainedandmentoredtofulfilthisrole.Follow-upworkbylocalauthoritiesshouldensurethatthebenefitsofsuchprojectsareusedtoinfluenceotheraspectofparticipants’lives.

Paul Swiftresearch and evaluation consultantmarch 2012

conclusions

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35dBassettRoad,LondonW106LB02089683478info@outsideinpathways.org.ukwww.outsideinpathways.org.uk