Press Releae issued: 10 December 2012.
A new radio series that will aim to inspire blind and partially sighted people to engage with the arts is being launched today, thanks to a £20,000 Lottery grant.
Insight Radio, the award-winning station of the Royal National Institute of Blind People, will broadcast the first in a weekly series entitled 'The Arts Gallery' from its studios in Glasgow at 1pm today. The programme has been made possible with support from Creative Scotland.
'The Arts Gallery' will showcase an exciting mix of Scottish-wide creative arts opportunities that anyone - with or without sight - can experience and enjoy. From audio description to art-therapy, touch-tours to Talking Books, the world of accessible art will be made available to all.
Insight Radio is the UK's only radio station to broadcast dedicated programming relevant to the two million people throughout the UK living with sight loss, of who over 180,000 are in Scotland.
'The Arts Gallery' will be broadcast as part of Insight's 'The Daley Lunch' programme.
Presenter Jill Daley said: "I lost my own sight at the age of 19 due to diabetic retinopathy. My world, at the time, had been plunged into darkness in the space of two weeks. As all my sighted friends prepared to leave home, pursue their chosen career-paths and travel the world, I was back at home living with my mum. Having always been a lover of cinema, live music, theatre and art, my mum and my friends tried to include me and did their best to describe what was going on.
"This is why I am so excited about this new series. If only I had had Insight Radio as a resource at the time, it would have been invaluable, with regards to what was out there for people like me.
"With 'The Arts Gallery', I want to bring the arts to people living with sight loss. I find arts and culture a great way to escape from reality and explore the minds of extremely creative people, whether they be writers, poets, actors, musicians or artists. The big difference for me now is that all these are so much more accessible, and I can enjoy others creativity in a more independent way.
"My hope is that blind and partially sighted listeners will be inspired to open themselves to many of the arts. If I achieve that goal, then my journey with sight loss certainly hasn't been in vain."
Sambrooke Scott, portfolio manager for audience development, participation and equalities at Creative Scotland, commented: "Arts and culture have the power to enrich people's lives, and make a transformational difference to the quality of life of our nation. Creative Scotland is delighted to have invested in 'The Arts Gallery' to ensure arts and culture are accessible and play a central part in the lives of people with sight loss."