Donations
Help us make the arts more inclusive. Your donation supports D/deaf, disabled, and marginalised artists to create, perform, and lead. Every contribution, big or small - makes a difference.
Who we are
We are an inclusive, disability focused, female-led charity.
Surface Area Dance Theatre (SADT) is an award-winning, inclusive arts company based in the North East of England. With a dedicated focus on accessibility and community engagement, SADT plays a vital role in enhancing the cultural landscape in the UK and internationally. As a respected arts and cultural organisation and a Disability Confident Employer, SADT is celebrated for its intersectional approach and dis
Donate NowWe work in partnership with our local community and beyond.
Our team, composed of highly trained and diverse professionals, exemplifies our commitment to inclusivity. By supporting D/deaf and diverse artists and communities, SADT embodies the skills and understanding necessary to harness the transformative power of creativity and representation, particularly for marginalised and underrepresented groups. We strive to create a fairer and inclusive society by investing in the long-term support and well-being of D/deaf, disabled, and marginalised people and communities.
We are a charity
Inclusive: SADT’s Board of Trustees is a female-led, diverse, and disabled-majority board. A review of our governance has been essential to support Surface Area Dance Theatre’s plans. As a CIO and Arts Council England, National Portfolio Organisation (2023-), and a Disabled Confident Leader, we have invested in robust EDI training and a Trustee peer-to-peer support group to recruit and retain diverse voices leading SADT’s governance.
What we do
We host and commission a range of performances and events.
SADT is a dynamic team of culturally diverse and highly skilled professionals, proudly trusted by the Deaf and disabled community to spearhead strategic fundraising efforts that elevate Deaf lived experiences and excellence as the foundation of creative and cultural leadership. Over the past four years, we have partnered with six esteemed D/deaf cultural ambassadors, securing an impressive £236,000 in arts funding. This substantial investment has enabled 12 impactful arts and cultural programmes across North East England, Yorkshire, and South East England. Our commitment to advocating with the D/deaf and disabled community is central to our mission as we pursue
Our Vision
With fifteen years of experience, we understand how to support D/deaf and disabled leadership effectively, informed by positively challenging mainstream arts programs that adopt a “one-size- fits-all” approach to access and representation, creating significant communication barriers that restrict diverse voices. Over the next five years, SADT will work with our existing and developing community to overcome challenges by dismantling barriers to fair access and participation in arts and culture.
Our community
We collaborate with a diverse spectrum of organisations at regional, national, and international levels. Our collective ambitions and values define each relationship, which we track using our relationship map. Our map includes 20 regional collaborations, 19 national partnerships, and five international connections. These involve artists, arts and cultural organisations, community groups focused on D/deaf and disabled individuals, schools, educational institutions, and funders. Our collaborations focus on organisational areas: (1) developing innovative practices, (2) supporting artists from D/deaf and disabled communities, (3) building audiences from these communities, and (4) producing collaborative work in arts venues.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at SADT
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) support the range and breadth of our work. They encourage us to be open to other cultures, to challenge our assumptions, biases and prejudices. They are essential for deep, trusting, mutually beneficial relationships. We want everyone coming into contact with us to feel respected and treated with dignity. We strive for alignment between our words and actions. We foster a sense of belonging among our employees and cultivate an environment where individuals feel at ease being themselves at work. The Department of Work and Pensions recognises Surface Area Dance Theatre as a Disability Leader and champion for Disability Confidence within our local and business communities. It is essential to value everyone
and to be empathetic, fair, respectful and inclusive. This holds for employees, participants in, or contributors to our work, regardless of their background, characteristics, or attributes.
What we do
We host and commission a range of performances and events.
SADT is a dynamic team of culturally diverse and highly skilled professionals, proudly trusted by the Deaf and disabled community to spearhead strategic fundraising efforts that elevate Deaf lived experiences and excellence as the foundation of creative and cultural leadership. Over the past four years, we have partnered with six esteemed D/deaf cultural ambassadors, securing an impressive £236,000 in arts funding. This substantial investment has enabled 12 impactful arts and cultural programmes across North East England, Yorkshire, and South East England. Our commitment to advocating with the D/deaf and disabled community is central to our mission as we pursue a unified vision of long-term structural change, artistic freedom and experimentation.
