Extant Celebrates it’s 25th Anniversary with the Launch of Extant Evolve

Season 1, Episode 1289,   Jun 22, 2022, 08:00 AM

Extant, the UK’s leading performing arts company run by, and for, visually impaired people providing a performance space for inclusive theatre for everyone, celebrates it’s 25th anniversary with the launch of a new exciting initiative called Extant Evolve to innovate the arts with new blind and partially sighted talent.

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey caught up with Maria Oshodi, Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer of Extant to find out more about how the company is marking their 25th anniversary with the launch of Extant Evolve.

Maria began by telling Toby how 25 years ago she along with a number of fellow blind / partially sighted Actors set up Extant, how the company has grown over the years with their innovative accessible theatre productions and also providing training opportunities in theatre for blind and partially sighted people.

Then Maria explained to Toby how Extant Evolve will help to innovate the arts with blind and partially sighted talent at the top level of arts organisations and theatre companies.

Toby and Maria then went on to discuss that now that we are seeing more blind and partially sighted and other disabled people on stage and screen whether we were at a turning point in opportunities for visually impaired people in theatre both on stage or behind the scenes and whether there is much more to do to make theatre and the arts more accessible for performers, creatives and the audience too. 

For more details about Extant and their new exciting initiative Extant Evolve then do visit their website - https://extant.org.uk 


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