Shakespeare’s Globe, New Art Exchange, and Autograph among the first organisations to join All In
- News
16 June 2026
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All In brought partners, cultural organisations and disability advocates together in Leeds to mark an important milestone. Nearly 30 organisations from theatres, arts centres, museums and galleries across England have already signed up as early adopters of All In, demonstrating an enthusiastic and engaging response to the scheme designed to help organisations improve access and inclusion for deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people.
A panel discussion at an event with three panellists surrounded by All In branding. One panellist, Sandeep, looks at the audience talking into a microphone while the other panellists listen attentively. The host, Andrew, a wheelchair user, looks on with a smile.
From Shakespeare’s Globe and the Royal Shakespeare Company to New Art Exchange, Autograph and Thackray Museum, this early wave of support shows real commitment to making creativity and culture more welcoming, inclusive and accessible for deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people.
The early adopters were announced by Arts Council England Chair Sir Nicholas Serota in Leeds on Monday 8 June, at an event marking the launch of the All In Accessibility Standards. In his speech, he described the moment as one of “historic significance” and reflected on the importance of access in the arts as he comes to the end of his tenure.
Sir Nick told attendees at the Leeds Grand Theatre, “Disabled people have faced innumerable challenges to gain a seat at the arts’ table. As an Arts Council, we will do everything we can to ensure they stay there and increase in number.”
Sir Nicholas Serota stands at the lectern, looking out over the audience off camera.
Andrew Miller MBE, UK Arts Access Champion for All In, also spoke about the journey of All In so far and the difference the scheme is already beginning to make, adding, “No one has mapped cultural access in this much detail before, making our Standards an encyclopaedia of cultural access. I can’t wait for them to break down barriers for disabled people”.
The sector’s warm welcome of All In is demonstrated by the range of organisations involved. Other early adopters include Storyhouse, Hackney Empire, NutKhut, Opera Up Close, Arena Theatre and Asian Arts Agency. Their commitment shows that organisations of different sizes and disciplines are recognising All In as a practical way to strengthen accessibility, build confidence and create better experiences for audiences and visitors.
“Improving access is an ongoing responsibility, and being part of All In gives us the expertise and support to keep improving, grow audiences, and create a better experience for everyone.”
Royal Shakespeare Company Co Artistic Directors, Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey, and Executive Director, Andrew Leveson said: “The RSC welcomes thousands of disabled audiences and visitors every year – and for too long, people have had to repeat their access needs every time they visit a new venue or organisation. All In changes that. We’re proud to be early adopters. We’re committed to making sure the broadest possible audiences can experience our work.”
Annabel Turpin, Chief Executive, Storyhouse said: “Storyhouse has committed to All In because we believe it can transform how disabled people access arts and culture. Improving access is an ongoing responsibility, and being part of All In gives us the expertise and support to keep improving, grow audiences, and create a better experience for everyone. For me, joining shouldn’t be optional for cultural organisations, it should be mandatory – and for anyone seeing cost as a barrier, the benefits in terms of audience growth will easily outweigh the cost.”
Saad Eddine Said, CEO and Artistic Director, New Art Exchange said: “As champions of a fair and equitable cultural sector, New Art Exchange is proud to be an early adopter of All In. Through this vital scheme, we hope to support the acceleration of systemic change and ensure that engaging with creativity is truly accessible, inclusive, and barrier-free for everyone.”
Chris Sudworth, CEO, Hackney Empire said: “Throughout our history, Hackney Empire has championed marginalised voices and sought to increase access for everyone to great art and culture. Joining All In will make pathways and processes easier for audiences and artists, giving us the tools and training to ensure access remains central to our story as we start our next 125 years, contributing to sector-wide progress towards a more inclusive cultural landscape.”
Whether you are just getting started or looking to build on existing work, All In offers a clear framework, practical tools and expert-backed standards to help turn ambition into action.
To find out more about subscribing to All In and what it could mean for your organisation, book a call with the team today.