It’s no exaggeration to say that if you have seen a deaf, disabled or neurodiverse performer onscreen or in the credits over the past few years, TripleC was either directly involved or someone from its growing Disabled Artists Networking Community (DANC) was part of the conversation.
“We’ve put a lot of work into talent development at the same time as ensuring the industry has everything in place, so that one side isn’t ready before the other,” says fellow co-founder and actor Melissa Johns. “We knew from the start that we had to elevate both talent and industry together.”
The trailblazing pair, who are both disabled, founded the key gateway organisation just over five years ago. Started in Manchester, where the two were starring in Coronation Street, TripleC (which stands for ‘Creative Confidence Collective’) quickly expanded its regional success nationwide, with DANC’s roster swelling to more than 1,300 artists, actors, writers and creatives. “We’ve developed writers who’ve gone on to write for Casualty and Moving On,” explains comedian, writer and former TripleC Chair, Laurence Clark, who has cerebral palsy. “We’ve 30 trainees working on Ralph & Katie, the spin-off from The A Word, and courses running with ScreenSkills and Channel 4. We’re having a very real impact.”
“TripleC gives focus. We can keep people within the organisation, keep developing them.” – Laurence Clark
That impact extends to the ever-growing list of organisations working with TripleC, which includes the BBC, ITV, Sky, Netflix, the BFI and BAFTA itself. As a recipient of BAFTA Elevate (BAFTA’s bespoke programme to support talent from underrepresented backgrounds), Johns is keen to detail the scope of TripleC’s work, particularly its focus on empowering young deaf, disabled and neurodiverse talent. “Using drama and roleplay with young people to work on self-expression is the core of what we do,” she says. “Plus, we have our community outreach, including the Bee Vocal mental health choir, who sang with Emili Sandé at the Royal Variety Performance at Wembley. And, of course, DANC, which has become so big.”
The collective’s solution-focused spirit has helped them to expand during the pandemic, where a speedy shift to online delivery actually allowed greater focus on DANC’s activities. “We’ve run more than 300 online events since Covid,” notes Houston. “And if you start with young people, whether they want to go into the creative industries or not, it creates confidence and self-advocacy.”
