About Us
LALA Arts is a visually impaired-led arts organisation changing what’s possible for disabled artists. We have developed an innovative creative access methodology that underpins our work, connecting, developing and creating opportunities for disabled artists to shape the future of the arts. Through creative and community programmes, commissions, productions and sector-wide consultancy, LALA challenges the barriers disabled artists face and puts creative access, artistic creation and disabled leadership at the centre.
LALA Arts is grounded in care, flexibility, and access, and provides access to art/culture and employment/development opportunities for disabled artists. Because of this, we are committed to reimagining not just what accessible art can be, but how it is made and who it is led by. In order to empower disabled artists to lead, create, and transform the future for disabled art
The Need for LALA
As the founder of LALA Arts, I bring lived experience as a visually impaired and working-class artist. Navigating systemic barriers has been a constant throughout my career, and these challenges have shaped a solution-driven, access-focused creative practice that sits at the core of everything I do.
Transitioning from artist to founder introduced a new layer of inaccessibility, not only in terms of disability, but also in navigating gaps in educational privilege and organisational literacy. Building a business demanded fluency in governance, business models, and institutional frameworks I had never encountered before. Rather than being deterred, I approached this as an opportunity to create a leadership practice that prioritises adaptability, access, and sustainability. That determination and resourcefulness continues to shape the foundation of LALA Arts.
With only 3.4% of senior leadership roles in the UK arts sector held by disabled people, it is clear that systemic change is not just necessary, it’s urgent. That change must include equitable access to business and leadership development for disabled people, comprehensive awareness training for organisations, and a fundamental shift in how disabled experiences are understood and valued.
I have reimagined our organisation’s structure, language, and strategic direction. LALA Arts was founded to create what I couldn’t find elsewhere, a disability-led company that challenges outdated narratives and redefines what leadership can look like. Our goal is ambitious but essential, to become the UK’s leading VI led organisation, with disabled people driving the vision, the decisions, and the future
THE TEAM
Alice Christina-Corrigan
Artistic and Executive Director
Alice is a visually impaired & neurodivergent actor, writer and creative access director based in Manchester known for her productions FADE, PAST LIFE and drama series SIGHT UNSEEN.
Alice’s work seeks nationwide change in implementing creative access and disability representation across theatre and television through all elements of production. Alice has developed this practice through PAST LIFE & FADE, displaying how we can tell pivotal, urgent and engaging stories, whilst advancing the creative access language of the storytelling. Her work is not only creatively driven, but homes in on creating a sustainable workforce for disabled artists. Providing essential artists development, upscaling artists work & through LALA Arts, Alice has begun to culturally shift the storytelling process nationwide. Proactive in her activism for disability rights and pioneering the way for the next generation of disabled people.
Ada Eravama
Community Officer & Audio Description Specialist
Ada is a visually impaired theatre maker based in Manchester. With 5 years specialising in integrated creative audio description and access consultant. Her work focuses around formulating new ways of integrating audio description into theatre production and through LALA Arts, Ada aims to create fun and creative training programs for other artists and organisations to learn about access and it’s creative possibilities.
‘Theatre is my favourite art form. With a complete box of sensory tools at our disposal to tell stories in 3D, I envision a theatre experience that goes beyond visual perception, embracing sonic narratives, and tactile experiences.
My mission, is to build a practise which transforms theatrical projects into multi-layered experiences where accessibility integrates with visual experiences. ‘
Martha Ford Tomlinson
Head of Producing
Martha Ford Tomlinson is a theatre and arts producer based in Manchester. They produce work that speaks to queer and disabled audiences, with a focus on curiosity, compassion and hope. Projects include 90+5, LALA Arts; SHORTS, Not Long; WIGHTWATER, Red Brick Theatre; SENSORIAL DREAMS, Royal Exchange Theatre. Martha is a Linguistics graduate, a classically trained vocalist/singer, and a writer of fiction and role-playing games. They are a keen strategist and a clear communicator, and they love to support artists to develop both their ideas and their skillsets, to deliver their best work.
‘LALA Arts as a driving force of change . I’m really grateful to get in on the ground floor as we start the story, and can’t wait to see what we all achieve together.’
‘If we want to actually make this cultural shift, it comes with looking at how we can integrate creative access in a way that reflects every story that we’re telling.’
The Double Negative Interview
‘When you come away from a theatre feeling something, it is a job well done.’
FADE North West End Review
‘Alice is an exciting and highly skilled artist, creating accessible, engaging and ambitious work that is relevant and timely. ‘
Antonia Beck, Senior Artist Development Producer The Lowry