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Dyslexia Awareness Week
It’s Dyslexia Awareness Week, here at Theatre Brycheiniog we believe in an inclusive working environment.
“We take real pride in providing a welcome theatre for everybody and this means understanding and challenging how accessible and how inclusive our programmes, services and physical space are and how they can be developed. The Theatr takes its responsibility in this regard extremely seriously and is one of the reasons why our building and brand refresh projects are being driven, we want all that we do to be open, engaging and welcoming, and this is about accessibility and inclusivity, with building signage, marketing and communications being well thought through to involve everybody.” David Wilson, Director at Theatr Brycheiniog
Today we are sharing a blog to celebrate our diverse workplace and have asked our marketing assistant Velvet Cole some questions for an insight on how she finds working in the creative industry while she also has Dyslexia.
When did you first realise you had dyslexia?
I was really young. I couldn’t talk well, so I would draw a lot. I would use drawings to communicate and problem solve. This was used as a way to get an early diagnosis but it still took a little while so I think I was around 5 or 6 by the time I got an official statement, which the school had really pushed for. When I was a little older I had to have a few other tests done and they found out I also had dyspraxia; a developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD), which is a condition affecting physical co-ordination.
How do you think dyslexia contributes to your creativity?
Because I found it hard to communicate in a normal way as a child I realised that if I wanted to get a point across, art was my best option! Spelling really isn’t my strong point which I still find really frustrating but a big part of problem solving is working out your strengths and how to use them. As a child I worked out people liked personalised drawings, so I would ’trade’ my drawings for help with homework! I learnt quickly that I could use my skills to my advantage and because I struggle to do tasks that others can do easily, I’ve had to learn to adapt fast when needed.
Being dyslexic has helped me release that there is always more than one way to solve a problem.
How do you rise to the challenges of working in a busy marketing department when you have dyslexia?
Theatr Brycheiniog has always been a great and inclusive place - they are very patient which really helps. I don’t feel out of place here, in fact I feel like this is the perfect place for me! I really like my job, it can be fast paced sometimes which suits me. I like working with other people, I like our team meetings and when we get to share ideas, talking about the ideas always helps me think of more. I like it when I can feel positive vibes from something/someone and when there’s an event or show on it feels great, it’s such a great atmosphere.
What sort of tools do you use to support your work and navigate any problems dyslexia might cause?
I use an iMac with a great read back option for proofing, but I also get work proofed by other team members. My working memory isn’t strong, so I have to make lists, if I don’t have a list I find it difficult as my brain will try and jump around five tasks at once and I lose track of what I’m doing or try and do too many things all at the same time. I’ve had to learn to try and control this, so again the team are great at making sure I stay on task which is good because it can be overwhelming sometimes.
What advice would you have to anyone who thinks they might have dyslexia or have recently been diagnosed with it and who might want to work in the arts?
The arts industry is the best place for us… don’t be put off by what you feel your ‘flaws’ are. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. As long as you have a good support system around you, you can do anything, I used to get really down about being dyslexic until I realised it didn’t stop me from achieving what I wanted to do, sometimes I just need to do things differently and that’s ok. Self awareness can make all the difference so don’t be put off by asking for something to be explained to you a few times. I don’t like asking for help, however there’s nothing wrong with needing help because needing help isn’t a weakness.
What do you think is the most powerful way to get a message across?
Honest creativity! It’s really hard for anyone with a neuro diverse condition to get excited about anything that isn’t of interest, we get bored very easily. Which again is why I like my job so much, I love the theatre and everything it stands for. I think a lot and have a lot of creative energy, so for me it’s powerful to be open and honest. Art is very powerful, I like art that makes me think. People want connection, that’s what art is about, so I like art that communicates this. I like open and honest art, whether it be a show, an image or music.
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