I’m ANIKA VERVECKEN
Access Activator
Facilitating Conversations and Connections Through Performing Arts
Leadership
Exploring new structures that allow for forms of leadership that don’t depend on having power over other, but are rather based on roles and responsibilities and focus on empowering everyone in a team.
Using that foundation to boldly lead within the industry as a team.
Accessibility
Supporting artists and presenters in creating an actionable plan to expand their audience to include more people based on input from the community through consultation and building relationships.
Are we on the same page?
Values
I want to work with people who share similar values
Generosity
Accountability
Inclusion through collaboration
Transformation
Access Activator
Performer
Producer
Translator
Leader
What does an
Access Activator do ?
Supporting artists and presenters in creating an actionable plan to expand their audience to include more people based on input from the community through consultation and building relationships.
These are some of the services I offer.
Accessibility Planning
This can be for a specific show, project or event or on an organizational level. My approach is dreaming big but only planning for what we have the resources and capacity for.
Community Consultation
If you work with me to connect with a specific community, I will do exactly that, connect you with them through consultants and group consultations. My goal is for you to build your own relationship where I am not needed.
Training
More information forthcoming but please reach out if you are interested in training your staff, board and or volunteers and here are some examples
- Accessibility 101 for Volunteers
- Accessibility 101 for Staff
- Relaxed Performance Training for Staff / Volunteers
- Taking Charge: Creating an Access Rider for Your Show
- Accessibility Planning: The Role of The Board
I also provide training on supporting patrons with specific needs such as audience members who are blind or partially sighted. Such training will never be led by me but by someone with lived experience.
Resource materials & templates
More information and links forthcoming. In the meantime, reach out and I will send you a copy or link to templates and info documents for:
- Relaxed Performances
- Visual Story for a Show
- Visual Story for a Venue
- Invitation from the Artist to People who are Blind or Partially Sighted
- How to describe yourself (for perfoermers)
- Invitation from the Artist to People Deaf or Hard of Hearing
- Accessibility Rider for a Show
Captions and Surtitles
This is where my work in accessibility originated. From surtitles that translated to captions to creative solutions and integrating them as a character into a show, I love to play with words.
Mentoring
The way forward to for everyone to learn especially people whose lived experience is underrepresented in our sector.
About Me
I am a queer, mad & neurodiverse single mom who was born in Belgium with a brilliantly chaotic and wildly creative brain. Performing has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. After two years of drama school I left after realising conventional acting wasn’t for me and I wasn’t clear on what I wanted to say with the type of performance I was interested in. After 20 years of work in translation, producing and becoming a leader in accessibility in performing arts I am exploring my own creative voice while continuing my work supporting others in sharing their vision and art.
My first priority is building relationships. My work testifies to an ongoing pursuit of new ways to invite people to experience live performance by developing new initiatives (workshops, outreach programs, training) as well as innovative techniques. I also believe that none of these work without a person/people centred approach, without a solid foundation of interpersonal connection.
Any project I work on needs to include care for the team executing the work which often means doing less while moving forward with care and intentionality. My ambitions have grown from traditional “success” like box office numbers to extend further and include what we learn, how we care for each other and the relationships we build.
Testimonials
” Anika’s enthusiasm and community-mindedness are qualities that bring life to any organization. Her strong commitment to accessibility and engagement is a remarkable asset that bears meaningful relationships with different communities. “
Bonnie Sun
Former colleague
Current projects
2021, Guilty by Association
As the Accessibility Producer I have am supporting the team to develop an accessibility plan, work with consultants and create documentation like the Visual Story
Vancouver International Children's Festival
As the Access Activator I coordinate all accessibility planning and execution, supporting the artist of all 12 shows and community consultants to develop an accessibility plan.
Youth Councils
To better understand the needs of young people who are Deaf or live with disabilities and give them the agency to decide on what and how the VICF supports them, we developed 4 different Youth Councils of young people with lived experience.