Chat to Ramps on the Moon right here!

Jen Toksvig is a theatre writer, director, poet, lyricist, game designer and advocate.

Jen joins Michele for a thought-provoking conversation about reimagining theatre, accessibility and storytelling. Rather than treating access as something fixed, Jen argues that support should always be responsive because "every access support need is situational" and every audience member arrives with different needs, experiences and expectations.

Together they explore why traditional theatre often prioritises the story over the people experiencing it, with Jen offering a radical alternative: create spaces where audiences have agency, feel comfortable enough to be uncomfortable and are invited into the storytelling rather than simply observing it. "I put the story last," she says, believing that connection matters more than control.

The conversation challenges assumptions about inclusion, creativity and leadership, asking what might happen if theatres stopped protecting tradition and instead designed experiences around the people in the room, one conversation at a time.

Image of Jen: Credit - Kate Griffin Photography

Thank you for listening. For further information and to get in touch with us please visit our website HERE.

Ramps on the Moon Podcast is hosted by Michèle Taylor. MBE, Director for Change for Ramps on the Moon.

Michèle takes the Ramps on the Moon podcast straight into the engine room of mainstream theatre. Across all episodes, she chats with actors, directors, producers and chief executives to uncover the joys, the tensions, the breakthroughs and the lessons in placing disabled people at the centre of cultural organisations.

Michèle shares the realities of the ‘now’ and what the future can hold for disability equality in the arts with Anti-Ableism weaved into every part of an organisation.

If you'd like to be considered as a guest on this podcast, or have a subject you'd like Michèle to talk about - please contact: zanna@rampsonthemoon.co.uk

This podcast is produced and managed by Podtalk.co.uk

Chat to Ramps on the Moon right here!

In this episode, Michèle Taylor is joined by disability consultant, broadcaster and comedian Simon Minty for an honest conversation about disability, leadership and creating lasting change.

Reflecting on more than 30 years of working across business and the arts, Simon and Michèle explore how attitudes towards disability have shifted, while recognising how much work still lies ahead. Simon speaks candidly about balancing anger with pragmatism, describing himself as "not a radical, but a rebel", and explains why lasting change comes through conversation, humour and helping people see the world differently.

Together, Michele and Simon discuss the emotional labour of disability advocacy, the importance of lived experience alongside professional expertise, and why asking people what they need to do their best work is far more powerful than simply talking about reasonable adjustments.

The conversation ends on a hopeful note, celebrating the next generation of disabled leaders and the role of "rebel elders" in supporting those who will take the movement forward.

Thank you Simon for an really interesting and honest discussion.

sminty.net

abnormallyfunnypeople.com

Thank you for listening. For further information and to get in touch with us please visit our website HERE.

Ramps on the Moon Podcast is hosted by Michèle Taylor. MBE, Director for Change for Ramps on the Moon.

Michèle takes the Ramps on the Moon podcast straight into the engine room of mainstream theatre. Across all episodes, she chats with actors, directors, producers and chief executives to uncover the joys, the tensions, the breakthroughs and the lessons in placing disabled people at the centre of cultural organisations.

Michèle shares the realities of the ‘now’ and what the future can hold for disability equality in the arts with Anti-Ableism weaved into every part of an organisation.

If you'd like to be considered as a guest on this podcast, or have a subject you'd like Michèle to talk about - please contact: zanna@rampsonthemoon.co.uk

This podcast is produced and managed by Podtalk.co.uk

Chat to Ramps on the Moon right here!

In this episode Michèle Taylor talks to Claire Hodgson and Jamie Beddard, joint Artistic Directors of Diverse City - A performing arts company who make bold, inclusive performance work, that supports artists to develop and grow, as well as work with multiple communitues to open up the arts to them.

Claire is a Theatre, Dance and Circus Director, committed to achieving social justice. Claire founded Diverse City in 2005 and is the co-founder of Extraordinary Bodies, the UK’s leading professional integrated circus company.

Jamie is the Joint Artistic Director of Diverse City with Claire, and Lead Artist for Extraordinary Bodies, as well as a prominent UK disabled actor, writer, director, and advocate for inclusion in the performing arts

Their mission at Diverse City:

"To fight for equality in every artistic arena: the boardroom, the audience, backstage, and centre stage should all be truly representative and we're here to make that happen.”

A brilliant podcast episode which delves deep into their personal fights against ableist barriers and the critical importance of allyship and how being an ally works in real life situations. They also chat about their joint role - and the freedom that brings to their creativity and personal development.

extraordinarybodies.org.uk which covers all of their circus work

diversecity.org.uk

Thank you to Jamie and Claire for such fascinating and open conversation.

Thank you for listening. For further information and to get in touch with us please visit our website HERE.

Ramps on the Moon Podcast is hosted by Michèle Taylor. MBE, Director for Change for Ramps on the Moon.

Michèle takes the Ramps on the Moon podcast straight into the engine room of mainstream theatre. Across all episodes, she chats with actors, directors, producers and chief executives to uncover the joys, the tensions, the breakthroughs and the lessons in placing disabled people at the centre of cultural organisations.

Michèle shares the realities of the ‘now’ and what the future can hold for disability equality in the arts with Anti-Ableism weaved into every part of an organisation.

If you'd like to be considered as a guest on this podcast, or have a subject you'd like Michèle to talk about - please contact: zanna@rampsonthemoon.co.uk

This podcast is produced and managed by Podtalk.co.uk

Chat to Ramps on the Moon right here!

In this episode Michele Taylor talks to Jamie Hale - a disabled and neurodivergent creative coach, trainer, and access consultant working to build cultures rooted in access, equity, and disability justice. His work sits at the intersection of lived experience and professional practice. He is the Artistic Director at CRIPtic Arts, leading strategic development, commissioning, talent development, and organisational growth.

From this episode:

"I think there’s sometimes presumed to be a divide between great art and community art and this sense that disabled-led work is on the outskirts, it’s community art, it’s very nice to let them make art and maybe they’ll make a nice little play at the end, rather than creating work for audiences to experience and enjoy at a high level, at a high quality. And I think that the assumption that disabled-led work is inherently community art undermines the value both of community art and of kind of mainstream disabled-led work."

Thank you Jamie for a brilliantly candid and fascinating chat.

Thank you for listening. For further information and to get in touch with us please visit our website HERE.

Ramps on the Moon Podcast is hosted by Michèle Taylor. MBE, Director for Change for Ramps on the Moon.

Michèle takes the Ramps on the Moon podcast straight into the engine room of mainstream theatre. Across all episodes, she chats with actors, directors, producers and chief executives to uncover the joys, the tensions, the breakthroughs and the lessons in placing disabled people at the centre of cultural organisations.

Michèle shares the realities of the ‘now’ and what the future can hold for disability equality in the arts with Anti-Ableism weaved into every part of an organisation.

If you'd like to be considered as a guest on this podcast, or have a subject you'd like Michèle to talk about - please contact: zanna@rampsonthemoon.co.uk

This podcast is produced and managed by Podtalk.co.uk

Chat to Ramps on the Moon right here!

Michèle Taylor talks to Christopher Samuel, a multi-disciplinary artist whose practice is rooted in identity and disability politics.

Often echoing the many facets of his own lived experience as a Black disabled man, his work tells stories, highlighting the often unseen experiences of his day to day life and those of others in similar circumstances.

His practice includes small detailed ink drawings, film, print, audio, research, and large installations.

Samuel works alongside galleries, museums, archives and other institutions to address missing representation in our cultural spaces.

In this episode Christopher talks about plugging holes, taking risks and the importance of a community working together.

"So in cultural spaces, in popular culture. And the disabled experience. I think for me I look around and I’m thinking, there’s missing stories that need to be told. And I have a plethora of stories that I can draw on."

Thank you to Christopher for an extremley thought provoking and honest chat.

Thank you for listening. For further information and to get in touch with us please visit our website HERE.

Ramps on the Moon Podcast is hosted by Michèle Taylor. MBE, Director for Change for Ramps on the Moon.

Michèle takes the Ramps on the Moon podcast straight into the engine room of mainstream theatre. Across all episodes, she chats with actors, directors, producers and chief executives to uncover the joys, the tensions, the breakthroughs and the lessons in placing disabled people at the centre of cultural organisations.

Michèle shares the realities of the ‘now’ and what the future can hold for disability equality in the arts with Anti-Ableism weaved into every part of an organisation.

If you'd like to be considered as a guest on this podcast, or have a subject you'd like Michèle to talk about - please contact: zanna@rampsonthemoon.co.uk

This podcast is produced and managed by Podtalk.co.uk

Chat to Ramps on the Moon right here!

Michèle Taylor talks to Rachel Sharpe, Head of Co-Creation, Creative Learning and Engagement at the Royal Shakespeare Company.

In this powerful conversation Rachel chats about:

• The emotional story of Ukrainian actors collaborating with the RSC on King Lear
• What genuine co-creation looks like in practice
• The 'risk register' - a practice which make creativity possible
• Her personal experience of parenting an autistic child — and what the theatre world is getting right (and wrong) for neurodivergent people

This episode is a moving, honest exploration of how the arts can drive societal change when inclusivity and personal experiences are placed at the heart of creative work.

Thank you Rachel for sharing your fascinating world.

Thank you for listening. For further information and to get in touch with us please visit our website HERE.

Ramps on the Moon Podcast is hosted by Michèle Taylor. MBE, Director for Change for Ramps on the Moon.

Michèle takes the Ramps on the Moon podcast straight into the engine room of mainstream theatre. Across all episodes, she chats with actors, directors, producers and chief executives to uncover the joys, the tensions, the breakthroughs and the lessons in placing disabled people at the centre of cultural organisations.

Michèle shares the realities of the ‘now’ and what the future can hold for disability equality in the arts with Anti-Ableism weaved into every part of an organisation.

If you'd like to be considered as a guest on this podcast, or have a subject you'd like Michèle to talk about - please contact: zanna@rampsonthemoon.co.uk

This podcast is produced and managed by Podtalk.co.uk

Chat to Ramps on the Moon right here!

Michèle Taylor talks to Maximillian Fairley - screen and stage actor about his flourishing career and what matters to him to be able to do his best work.

Max talks about his experience in playing a lead role (Harry) in World Premier Village Idiot - A co-production by Theatre Royal Stratford East, Nottingham Playhouse and Ramps on the Moon, and written by Samson Hawkins

Max talks in depth about his integral role playing Marty Baines in in Season 6 of ITV blockbuster Unforgotten

Max also talks about the importance for actors with neurodiversity and disability to included:

"And I think it is very important to me, not even just with neurodiversity and disability, I think in general, you know, even going beyond that, To me it's very important that actually I can be a part of proving that we are just as capable as neurotypical actors in portraying roles which have an integral part to the story, in even portraying stories in which maybe neurodiversity and disability aren't discussed. We are capable of doing it, you know? We're not a liability. We're not incapable of reaching the same highs"

Thank you Max for a brilliant and enlightening conversation. We can't wait to see you on screen again!

#MaxamillianFairley #podcast #Unforgotten #VillageIdiot #RampsOnTheMoon

Thank you for listening. For further information and to get in touch with us please visit our website HERE.

Ramps on the Moon Podcast is hosted by Michèle Taylor. MBE, Director for Change for Ramps on the Moon.

Michèle takes the Ramps on the Moon podcast straight into the engine room of mainstream theatre. Across all episodes, she chats with actors, directors, producers and chief executives to uncover the joys, the tensions, the breakthroughs and the lessons in placing disabled people at the centre of cultural organisations.

Michèle shares the realities of the ‘now’ and what the future can hold for disability equality in the arts with Anti-Ableism weaved into every part of an organisation.

If you'd like to be considered as a guest on this podcast, or have a subject you'd like Michèle to talk about - please contact: zanna@rampsonthemoon.co.uk

This podcast is produced and managed by Podtalk.co.uk

Chat to Ramps on the Moon right here!

Michèle Taylor talks to Penelope Saward and Ben Oliver at The Production Exchange about their steps, successes and challenges towards creating an anti-ableist organisation following their year-long journey on the Ramps on the Moon Change Partner programme.

The Production Exchange is a charity, established in 2013. They provide artists with pathways into the performing arts industry, with the hope of enabling them to forge careers that are sustainable and fulfilling. They accomplish this through two separate strands of their organisation.

Firstly, they are an artist management company, representing over 90 artists, actors, directors, writers, designers, musical directors and they secure them paid employment opportunities functioning just like any other talent agency.

They are also a production company - developing and producing theatre. And through that, they provide employment and skills development opportunities to a wide variety of creatives. Some who are represented by them.

Thank you Penelope and Ben for being so informative and open.

#TheProductionExchange #AntiAbleism #DisabilityEquality

Thank you for listening. For further information and to get in touch with us please visit our website HERE.

Ramps on the Moon Podcast is hosted by Michèle Taylor. MBE, Director for Change for Ramps on the Moon.

Michèle takes the Ramps on the Moon podcast straight into the engine room of mainstream theatre. Across all episodes, she chats with actors, directors, producers and chief executives to uncover the joys, the tensions, the breakthroughs and the lessons in placing disabled people at the centre of cultural organisations.

Michèle shares the realities of the ‘now’ and what the future can hold for disability equality in the arts with Anti-Ableism weaved into every part of an organisation.

If you'd like to be considered as a guest on this podcast, or have a subject you'd like Michèle to talk about - please contact: zanna@rampsonthemoon.co.uk

This podcast is produced and managed by Podtalk.co.uk