RAMPS ON THE MOON PODCAST

Ramps on the Moon

Disability equality leader, Michèle Taylor, steers the Ramps on the Moon podcast into the heart of mainstream theatre. With special guests, she discovers the joys, the frustrations, the successes, and the learning in elevating disabled people into the centre of theatre work.Join Michèle as she shares the realities of the ‘now’ and what the future can hold for disability equality in the arts.Michèle is a disability equality trainer and consultant who set up her own business in 1992 to work with arts and other cultural organisations. She has seen immense change across the sector in that time, and is still impatient for more:“It’s time to focus on anti-ableism: recognising that as disabled people, we are no longer satisfied with being granted access into an essentially ableist sector. I am proud of the Ramps on the Moon partners for the work they have done to reflect on their own structures and processes, and to share their learning.”

  1. Sep 24

    Ep 20: "Am I here because I'm good, or because I ticked a box?" with actors Natalie Kimmerling and Lucy Thorburn

    Chat to Ramps on the Moon right here! Have you ever wondered whether you got the job on merit, or because someone needed to tick a box? It's a question that follows many disabled performers into every audition room, and in this episode, two of the UK's most exciting puppeteers say it out loud. Michèle Taylor talks with Natalie Kimmerling and Lucy Thorburn, both performers and puppeteers with limb difference, both veterans of the National Theatre's War Horse, and, it turns out, more connected than either of them realised. In this episode, you'll hear: The "tick box" fear. Natalie explains why she has turned down roles and how she still wonders whether a compliment is real or pity. Lucy shares the moment a leading West End director admitted the problem exists, and why it made her emotional.The audition that went right. What happened when Lucy walked into the Baby Joey audition and met a team who talked openly about access.Giving your body to the puppet. Lucy's idea that disabled performers are "the Queens of adapting" changes how you'll think about puppetry. Michèle wonders whether that makes them better at it.Why time and money matter. Natalie explains how a lack of rehearsal time meant she could only work one part of Baby Joey, and what theatre must change so the puppet fits the performer, not the other way round.A surprise nobody saw coming. Lucy reveals that Natalie's costume alterations quietly paved the way for her own, and neither knew until this recording. Slow producing and access. Where the industry is getting it right, where it isn't, and why disabled people shouldn't always be the ones starting the conversation.Joyful moments. From taking family backstage to the school tours where a young disabled audience member's face lights up.Thank you for listening. For further information and to get in touch with us please visit our website HERE. Ramps on the Moon Podcast is hosted by Michèle Taylor. MBE, Director for Change for Ramps on the Moon. Michèle takes the Ramps on the Moon podcast straight into the engine room of mainstream theatre. Across all episodes, she chats with actors, directors, producers and chief executives to uncover the joys, the tensions, the breakthroughs and the lessons in placing disabled people at the centre of cultural organisations. Michèle shares the realities of the ‘now’ and what the future can hold for disability equality in the arts with Anti-Ableism weaved into every part of an organisation. If you'd like to be considered as a guest on this podcast, or have a subject you'd like Michèle to talk about - please contact: zanna@rampsonthemoon.co.uk  This podcast is produced and managed by Podtalk.co.uk

    Ep 20: "Am I here because I'm good, or because I ticked a box?" with actors Natalie Kimmerling and Lucy Thorburn

  2. Sep 1

    EP: 19 Jenifer Toksvig - "I put the story last" - connection matters more than control

    Chat to Ramps on the Moon right here! Jen Toksvig is a theatre writer, director, poet, lyricist, game designer and advocate. Jen joins Michele for a thought-provoking conversation about reimagining theatre, accessibility and storytelling. Rather than treating access as something fixed, Jen argues that support should always be responsive because "every access support need is situational" and every audience member arrives with different needs, experiences and expectations.  Together they explore why traditional theatre often prioritises the story over the people experiencing it, with Jen offering a radical alternative: create spaces where audiences have agency, feel comfortable enough to be uncomfortable and are invited into the storytelling rather than simply observing it. "I put the story last," she says, believing that connection matters more than control.  The conversation challenges assumptions about inclusion, creativity and leadership, asking what might happen if theatres stopped protecting tradition and instead designed experiences around the people in the room, one conversation at a time.  Image of Jen: Credit - Kate Griffin Photography Thank you for listening. For further information and to get in touch with us please visit our website HERE. Ramps on the Moon Podcast is hosted by Michèle Taylor. MBE, Director for Change for Ramps on the Moon. Michèle takes the Ramps on the Moon podcast straight into the engine room of mainstream theatre. Across all episodes, she chats with actors, directors, producers and chief executives to uncover the joys, the tensions, the breakthroughs and the lessons in placing disabled people at the centre of cultural organisations. Michèle shares the realities of the ‘now’ and what the future can hold for disability equality in the arts with Anti-Ableism weaved into every part of an organisation. If you'd like to be considered as a guest on this podcast, or have a subject you'd like Michèle to talk about - please contact: zanna@rampsonthemoon.co.uk  This podcast is produced and managed by Podtalk.co.uk

    EP: 19 Jenifer Toksvig - "I put the story last" - connection matters more than control

  3. Aug 24

    Ep 18: Simon Minty: Rebel, Leader - Driving Disability Change

    Chat to Ramps on the Moon right here! In this episode, Michèle Taylor is joined by disability consultant, broadcaster and comedian Simon Minty for an honest conversation about disability, leadership and creating lasting change. Reflecting on more than 30 years of working across business and the arts, Simon and Michèle explore how attitudes towards disability have shifted, while recognising how much work still lies ahead. Simon speaks candidly about balancing anger with pragmatism, describing himself as "not a radical, but a rebel", and explains why lasting change comes through conversation, humour and helping people see the world differently. Together, Michele and Simon discuss the emotional labour of disability advocacy, the importance of lived experience alongside professional expertise, and why asking people what they need to do their best work is far more powerful than simply talking about reasonable adjustments. The conversation ends on a hopeful note, celebrating the next generation of disabled leaders and the role of "rebel elders" in supporting those who will take the movement forward. Thank you Simon for an really interesting and honest discussion. sminty.net abnormallyfunnypeople.com Thank you for listening. For further information and to get in touch with us please visit our website HERE. Ramps on the Moon Podcast is hosted by Michèle Taylor. MBE, Director for Change for Ramps on the Moon. Michèle takes the Ramps on the Moon podcast straight into the engine room of mainstream theatre. Across all episodes, she chats with actors, directors, producers and chief executives to uncover the joys, the tensions, the breakthroughs and the lessons in placing disabled people at the centre of cultural organisations. Michèle shares the realities of the ‘now’ and what the future can hold for disability equality in the arts with Anti-Ableism weaved into every part of an organisation. If you'd like to be considered as a guest on this podcast, or have a subject you'd like Michèle to talk about - please contact: zanna@rampsonthemoon.co.uk  This podcast is produced and managed by Podtalk.co.uk

    Ep 18: Simon Minty: Rebel, Leader - Driving Disability Change

  4. Aug 10

    Ep 17: Claire Hodgson and Jamie Beddard, founders of Diverse City: Fighting for Equality in every artistic arena

    Chat to Ramps on the Moon right here! In this episode Michèle Taylor talks to Claire Hodgson and Jamie Beddard, joint Artistic Directors of Diverse City - A performing arts company who make bold, inclusive performance work, that supports artists to develop and grow, as well as work with multiple communitues to open up the arts to them.   Claire is a Theatre, Dance and Circus Director, committed to achieving social justice. Claire founded Diverse City in 2005 and is the co-founder of Extraordinary Bodies, the UK’s leading professional integrated circus company. Jamie is the Joint Artistic Director of Diverse City with Claire, and Lead Artist for Extraordinary Bodies, as well as a prominent UK disabled actor, writer, director, and advocate for inclusion in the performing arts  Their mission at Diverse City: "To fight for equality in every artistic arena: the boardroom, the audience, backstage, and centre stage should all be truly representative and we're here to make that happen.”  A brilliant podcast episode which delves deep into their personal fights against ableist barriers and the critical importance of allyship and how being an ally works in real life situations. They also chat about their joint role - and the freedom that brings to their creativity and personal development. extraordinarybodies.org.uk which covers all of their circus work diversecity.org.uk  Thank you to Jamie and Claire for such fascinating and open conversation. Thank you for listening. For further information and to get in touch with us please visit our website HERE. Ramps on the Moon Podcast is hosted by Michèle Taylor. MBE, Director for Change for Ramps on the Moon. Michèle takes the Ramps on the Moon podcast straight into the engine room of mainstream theatre. Across all episodes, she chats with actors, directors, producers and chief executives to uncover the joys, the tensions, the breakthroughs and the lessons in placing disabled people at the centre of cultural organisations. Michèle shares the realities of the ‘now’ and what the future can hold for disability equality in the arts with Anti-Ableism weaved into every part of an organisation. If you'd like to be considered as a guest on this podcast, or have a subject you'd like Michèle to talk about - please contact: zanna@rampsonthemoon.co.uk  This podcast is produced and managed by Podtalk.co.uk

    Ep 17: Claire Hodgson and Jamie Beddard, founders of Diverse City: Fighting for Equality in every artistic arena

  5. Jul 14

    Ep:16 Jamie Hale, Director of CRIPtic Arts - on dismantling hierarchies and pushing the margins

    Chat to Ramps on the Moon right here! In this episode Michele Taylor talks to Jamie Hale - a disabled and neurodivergent creative coach, trainer, and access consultant working to build cultures rooted in access, equity, and disability justice.  His work sits at the intersection of lived experience and professional practice. He is the Artistic Director at CRIPtic Arts, leading strategic development, commissioning, talent development, and organisational growth. From this episode: "I think there’s sometimes presumed to be a divide between great art and community art and this sense that disabled-led work is on the outskirts, it’s community art, it’s very nice to let them make art and maybe they’ll make a nice little play at the end, rather than creating work for audiences to experience and enjoy at a high level, at a high quality. And I think that the assumption that disabled-led work is inherently community art undermines the value both of community art and of kind of mainstream disabled-led work." Thank you Jamie for a brilliantly candid and fascinating chat. Thank you for listening. For further information and to get in touch with us please visit our website HERE. Ramps on the Moon Podcast is hosted by Michèle Taylor. MBE, Director for Change for Ramps on the Moon. Michèle takes the Ramps on the Moon podcast straight into the engine room of mainstream theatre. Across all episodes, she chats with actors, directors, producers and chief executives to uncover the joys, the tensions, the breakthroughs and the lessons in placing disabled people at the centre of cultural organisations. Michèle shares the realities of the ‘now’ and what the future can hold for disability equality in the arts with Anti-Ableism weaved into every part of an organisation. If you'd like to be considered as a guest on this podcast, or have a subject you'd like Michèle to talk about - please contact: zanna@rampsonthemoon.co.uk  This podcast is produced and managed by Podtalk.co.uk

    Ep:16 Jamie Hale, Director of CRIPtic Arts - on dismantling hierarchies and pushing the margins

  6. Jun 18

    Ep 15: Christopher Samuel, Artist, on taking risks, telling stories and collaboration

    Chat to Ramps on the Moon right here! Michèle Taylor talks to Christopher Samuel, a multi-disciplinary artist whose practice is rooted in identity and disability politics.  Often echoing the many facets of his own lived experience as a Black disabled man, his work tells stories, highlighting the often unseen experiences of his day to day life and those of others in similar circumstances.  His practice includes small detailed ink drawings, film, print, audio, research, and large installations. Samuel works alongside galleries, museums, archives and other institutions to address missing representation in our cultural spaces. In this episode Christopher talks about plugging holes, taking risks and the importance of a community working together. "So in cultural spaces, in popular culture. And the disabled experience. I think for me I look around and I’m thinking, there’s missing stories that need to be told. And I have a plethora of stories that I can draw on."  Thank you to Christopher for an extremley thought provoking and honest chat. Thank you for listening. For further information and to get in touch with us please visit our website HERE. Ramps on the Moon Podcast is hosted by Michèle Taylor. MBE, Director for Change for Ramps on the Moon. Michèle takes the Ramps on the Moon podcast straight into the engine room of mainstream theatre. Across all episodes, she chats with actors, directors, producers and chief executives to uncover the joys, the tensions, the breakthroughs and the lessons in placing disabled people at the centre of cultural organisations. Michèle shares the realities of the ‘now’ and what the future can hold for disability equality in the arts with Anti-Ableism weaved into every part of an organisation. If you'd like to be considered as a guest on this podcast, or have a subject you'd like Michèle to talk about - please contact: zanna@rampsonthemoon.co.uk  This podcast is produced and managed by Podtalk.co.uk

    Ep 15: Christopher Samuel, Artist, on taking risks, telling stories and collaboration

  7. 07/22/2025

    Ep 14: Rachel Sharpe from the RSC - Head of Co-Creation, Creative Learning and Engagement

    Chat to Ramps on the Moon right here! Michèle Taylor talks to Rachel Sharpe, Head of Co-Creation, Creative Learning and Engagement at the Royal Shakespeare Company. In this powerful conversation Rachel chats about: The emotional story of Ukrainian actors collaborating with the RSC on King LearWhat genuine co-creation looks like in practiceThe 'risk register' - a practice which make creativity possibleHer personal experience of parenting an autistic child — and what the theatre world is getting right (and wrong) for neurodivergent peopleThis episode is a moving, honest exploration of how the arts can drive societal change when inclusivity and personal experiences are placed at the heart of creative work. Thank you Rachel for sharing your fascinating world. Thank you for listening. For further information and to get in touch with us please visit our website HERE. Ramps on the Moon Podcast is hosted by Michèle Taylor. MBE, Director for Change for Ramps on the Moon. Michèle takes the Ramps on the Moon podcast straight into the engine room of mainstream theatre. Across all episodes, she chats with actors, directors, producers and chief executives to uncover the joys, the tensions, the breakthroughs and the lessons in placing disabled people at the centre of cultural organisations. Michèle shares the realities of the ‘now’ and what the future can hold for disability equality in the arts with Anti-Ableism weaved into every part of an organisation. If you'd like to be considered as a guest on this podcast, or have a subject you'd like Michèle to talk about - please contact: zanna@rampsonthemoon.co.uk  This podcast is produced and managed by Podtalk.co.uk

    Ep 14: Rachel Sharpe from the RSC - Head of Co-Creation, Creative Learning and Engagement

  8. 07/02/2025

    Ep 13: Maximillian Fairley - Screen and stage actor - starring in ITV show 'Unforgotten'

    Chat to Ramps on the Moon right here! Michèle Taylor talks to Maximillian Fairley - screen and stage actor about his flourishing career and what matters to him to be able to do his best work. Max talks about his experience in playing a lead role (Harry) in World Premier Village Idiot - A co-production by Theatre Royal Stratford East, Nottingham Playhouse and Ramps on the Moon, and written by Samson Hawkins Max talks in depth about his integral role playing Marty Baines in in Season 6 of ITV blockbuster Unforgotten Max also talks about the importance for actors with neurodiversity and disability to included: "And I think it is very important to me, not even just with neurodiversity and disability, I think in general, you know, even going beyond that, To me it's very important that actually I can be a part of proving that we are just as capable as neurotypical actors in portraying roles which have an integral part to the story, in even portraying stories in which maybe neurodiversity and disability aren't discussed. We are capable of doing it, you know? We're not a liability. We're not incapable of reaching the same highs" Thank you Max for a brilliant and enlightening conversation. We can't wait to see you on screen again! #MaxamillianFairley #podcast #Unforgotten #VillageIdiot #RampsOnTheMoon Thank you for listening. For further information and to get in touch with us please visit our website HERE. Ramps on the Moon Podcast is hosted by Michèle Taylor. MBE, Director for Change for Ramps on the Moon. Michèle takes the Ramps on the Moon podcast straight into the engine room of mainstream theatre. Across all episodes, she chats with actors, directors, producers and chief executives to uncover the joys, the tensions, the breakthroughs and the lessons in placing disabled people at the centre of cultural organisations. Michèle shares the realities of the ‘now’ and what the future can hold for disability equality in the arts with Anti-Ableism weaved into every part of an organisation. If you'd like to be considered as a guest on this podcast, or have a subject you'd like Michèle to talk about - please contact: zanna@rampsonthemoon.co.uk  This podcast is produced and managed by Podtalk.co.uk

    Ep 13: Maximillian Fairley - Screen and stage actor - starring in ITV show 'Unforgotten'
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About

Disability equality leader, Michèle Taylor, steers the Ramps on the Moon podcast into the heart of mainstream theatre. With special guests, she discovers the joys, the frustrations, the successes, and the learning in elevating disabled people into the centre of theatre work.Join Michèle as she shares the realities of the ‘now’ and what the future can hold for disability equality in the arts.Michèle is a disability equality trainer and consultant who set up her own business in 1992 to work with arts and other cultural organisations. She has seen immense change across the sector in that time, and is still impatient for more:“It’s time to focus on anti-ableism: recognising that as disabled people, we are no longer satisfied with being granted access into an essentially ableist sector. I am proud of the Ramps on the Moon partners for the work they have done to reflect on their own structures and processes, and to share their learning.”

Information

  • Creator
    Ramps on the Moon
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Ramps on The Moon
  • Show Website
    RAMPS ON THE MOON PODCAST