Raspberry Ripple is a Disability Led theatre company. This campaign will help us to build a website, officially launch and put on many more brilliant performances that are inclusive. We aim to raise $9,500 - and hopefully more. 

We aim to create compelling theatre of a professional standard using disabled and mainstream performers, writers, directors, designers and technical artists.

In the theatre in Australia, disabled characters are rarely seen - and on the rare occasions they are, invariably an able-bodied actor will play the role. At Raspberry Ripple we aim to change this. We aim to be instrumental in creating a pathway into the mainstream performing arts for disabled performers.

We want the mainstream industry to celebrate the deliciousness of diversity!

NB:  ‘Raspberry ripple’ = Cockney rhyming slang for ‘Cripple’

NB:  The definition of disability-led applies to organisations in which the CEO or Lead Creative and 50% of staff and board have a disability

Who is driving this project?

I am Kate Hood, the Artistic Director of Raspberry Ripple Productions and a passionate advocate for disability in the arts. I had a full career as an able-bodied actor, writer and director, for more than twenty years. I performed in theatre, musicals, TV, and film. Some of my credits include Prisoner, Buddy, Hotel Sorrento, and I have won awards for my audio book narrations for Bolinda Publications.

After being diagnosed with a neurological disease, (HSP) I became a full time wheelchair user and struggled to keep my place in the mainstream performing arts. Then I began to work with my new tribe of disabled artists – and realised that there is a rich seam of material that has never been explored in the mainstream. The dimension that could be created by performers with disability has been ignored for too long. That’s why I started Raspberry Ripple.

I want to see a pathway made for performers, writers, directors, and any disabled artist who has the talent and desire to work professionally in the performing arts.

In my ideal world, there would be a level playing field within my profession.

We would see people with disabilities studying at drama schools, writing for television, directing for stage and film. It would be commonplace for the Australian public to see actors who were genuinely disabled on our stages and television screens and in our films.

Disabled actors would be auditioning for roles alongside able-bodied actors – the office-worker, neighbour, prisoner, politician, psychiatrist, brother, song-writer etc. - and would be judged on the quality of their audition, just like the able-bodied actors they studied with at drama school.  

To quote Jo Verrent, of UK disability/arts company No Limits, we would ‘boldly go where everyone has been before’

We aim to build an accessible website to host information about our events, workshops and advocacy work. We need to make a website that is fully accessible to all people and this can take time and additional expense that a new production company such as ourselves does not yet have.

We also will use funds for marketing and promotional services. We are currently a small team and in order to get the word out there and advocate for disability in the arts, we need PR and social media support. Some of the funds will go towards these costs.

Finally, we want to launch Raspberry Ripple Productions officially to the world. We will do this with a wonderful celebration that we want all our supporters to attend!

The website will contain:

• Shows: past, present and up-coming

• Advocacy events

• Workshops for disabled writers, directors and actors wanting to work professionally in the performing arts. These will be hosted by industry professionals.
• Workshops for all theatre makers who want to cross the divide. These workshops will focus on inclusive practice

• Lists of our partners
• Advocacy information for the Arts industry

• Articles and stories which discuss the important issues facing artists with disabilities
• The website will be fully accessible.

Who is this for?

It's for any disabled, or able bodied performer, or theatre maker, wanting to work in an inclusive environment and create performance work of a high standard. It’s for those who want to share stories that are not being told, and that must be articulated to give a realistic view of the world in which we actually live.

Why is a company like Raspberry Ripple needed? Because disabled performers have been excluded from mainstream performing arts for too long.

Raspberry Ripple operates around the Social Model of disability, which says that the barriers put in place by a world designed for ‘normal people’ disables us far more than our bodies ever will. Disabled people are excluded from work, education, recreation – and of course, the performing arts.

As a small team and a start up, we have limited funds to operate on. We rely upon grants and income from our productions to continue. Such an undertaking as an accessible website has to date been beyond our grasp but we know without it, we cannot grow and fully offer the services to those who need them.

We ask you to help support us by donating to our campaign and helping us to raise awareness for disability in the arts.

What if we exceed the financial target?

We would be over the moon! Our goal is $9,500, but additional funding would help us to achieve so much more!

It would give us the chance to better promote and market Raspberry Ripple Productions shows and workshops. We would be able to offer more opportunities for disabled actors, writers and directors to develop their skills in our workshops. And by having funds to cover production costs, we would be able to put on more shows, opening up more opportunities for people to practice and use their skills.

We will use the funds to:

• Hold workshops designed to upskill the talents of disabled writers and performers, and create a pool of disabled professionals.
• Hold workshops for disabled and non-disabled theatre makers who want to cross the divide. These workshops will focus on inclusive practice
• Attend industry events and use our voice to advocate for artists with a disability.

• Market and promote Raspberry Ripple Productions activities so that more people can know of the services we offer.

Thank you for taking the time to read about our campaign and we hope that you can help us in making the performing arts accessible to all!