Category: going out

Chisato Minamimura will be joining us at the Disabled & Proud Festival 30th November

Scored In Silence at Disabled & Proud Festival

Photos credit to Mark Pickthall

Scored in SIlence – Dance Documentary
Film screening of excerpt from “Scored in Silence” (12 mins) followed by a Q&A from Chisato Minamimura and producer Amy Zamarripa Solis (8 mins). There will be sound, music, sign mime and voiceover in the film, as well as a live BSL interpreter. 

“Scored in Silence” is Chisato’s new solo digital artwork that unpacks the untold tales of deaf hibakusha – survivors of the A-Bombs that fell in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 and their experiences at the time and afterwards. 2020 is the 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings and it is also the year that Tokyo will also host the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Scored in Silence” was developed alongside partners VibraFusionLab in Ontario, Canada and showcased at Brighton Digital Festival and Manchester Science Festival in 2018. It was selected for the British Council Edinburgh Fringe Festival Showcase in August 2019.
It will be part of Disabled & Proud Festival evening performances 6-8pm. 
Woolwich Centre Library
35 Wellington Street,
Woolwich SE18 6HQ

Full programme: http://cultureaccess.co.uk/culture-access-invites-you-to-to-disabled-proud-festival/

Chisato Minamimura is a dance artist and art presenter born in Japan, now based in London. She has created, promoted, performed & taught dance across 20 countries, including 3 years (2003-6) as a company member of internationally-renowned CandoCo Dance. She was involved in Aerial Performances with Graeae Theatre Company, London Paralympic Opening Ceremony 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympic Cultural Olympiad. She approaches choreography from her unique perspectives as a Deaf artist, creating what she calls ‘visual sound/ music’.

see Festival page for more details

Culture Access invites you to to Disabled & Proud Festival

We are very proud to announce and invite you to our Festival in Woolwich, London on 30th Nov 2019

image of Dennis with pink hat and glasses in a suit and tie at a mike and strumming a guitar.
Dennis Queen performing in Greenwich 2018, photo by Wasi Daniju

Workshops 3pm to 5 pm at Bathway Theatre, SE18 6QX

Performances 6pm to 8 pm at Woolwich Central Library, SE18 6HQ

Workshops lead by Lucy Sheen (drama ), Mx Dennis Queen (music) and Richard Hering (smartphone video).

Eventbrites will be set up for each workshop – first come, first serve basis with more details.

Please book at Eventbrite for drama workshop, Eventbrite for the music workshop, Eventbrite for video workshop, Eventbrite for evening performances

Exhibition *Neurodiversions* ​ Annabel Crowley and Shura Joseph-Gruner present their creative responses to their day-to-day neurodiversions.

Exhibition : Digital Quilt of Disabled Women (work in progress by Eleanor Lisney and Natasha Hirst and others) will be presented.

There will also be stalls (let us know if you would like one by emailing: eleanor (at) cultureaccess.co.uk) and display of books to celebrate Disability History Month

Evening Perfomances will be compered by Joanna Abeyie with Disabled artists such as Miss Jacqui(spoken word artist), Dennis Queen(musician and singer), Janine Booth(Poet, author and activist), Sorena Francis and more to be announced. Contact us (eleanor (at) cultureaccess.co.uk) if you would like to perform. There will be BSL interpreters.

More performers : Chisato Minamimura, Naomi Jacobs will also be joining us.

Eventbrite for evening performances

More details on this page!

Access directions and details are on this page

  • letters GLL green colour on white, text - better for everyone
  • logo for Her Centre - Black and white letters
  • Bathway theatre logo
  • logo for culture seeds (orange background with dandelion
  • RBG logo

Greenwich for an accessible day trip

woman wheelchair user looking at river next to heritage building looking at new buidings across the water
Greenwich along the river

We have many friends who come visit us in Greenwich. Some of these friends are disabled and, quite a few of them, are wheelchair users.

We thought it would be useful to write up some information for visitors – especially those who are here for a day trip to Greenwich.

Arrival

By DLR /Cutty Sark Station Cutty Sark DLR station has step-free access. It is a light metro station on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) Bank-Lewisham Line in Greenwich Town Centre.
By train there is a train service (from London Bridge station). From the station bus 177 will take you into the town centre. However, it is within walking distance but the pavements are not too even with some cobblestones and sometimes blocked by dustbins. The station itself is accessible.
By the underground/North Greenwich station is on the accessible Jubilee Line. From the station, there are many buses, you can take the bus 129 or bus 188 (you can take this bus from Waterloo or Russell Square all the way from London) towards Greenwich centre.
By boat Thames Clippers is another way of getting to Greenwich from the city of London. They are accessible by ramps. (but they are not always easily negotiable. You might require some help.)

the DLR station at Cutty Sark
the DLR station at Cutty Sark

Sites to visit

Greenwich landscape from the Observatory with tall buildings in the back with historical buildings in the foreground
Greenwich landscape from the Observatory with tall buildings in the background and historical buildings in the foreground

These are the sites we would recommend as places not to be missed in a visit to Greenwich:

The National Maritime Museum / Greenwich Park

The National Maritime Museum is a free museum good for the whole family and it has Greenwich Park

  • Information on the museum
  • way to park out from the museum
  • easy accessible paths
  • London view from outside the Observatory

The Observatory

The Observatory is worth a walk up even if you dont go in (price £14 – £16}. It has a great view. There are two routes up, a steep path or a more gradual but longer route).

Cutty Sark

Here are some videos we took of the accessibility of the Cutty Sark a few years go.

The open space near the Cutty Sark is usually bustling with stalls, buskers etc and often music to entertain the tourists and residents.

Entrance Prices

The 02 area/ Greenwich Peninsula

The 02 is adjacent to the North Greenwich Tube station. There are also buses (188) connecting to Russell Square and (108) to Stratford International as well as to neighbourhood areas like Woolwich and Lewisham. There is also parking free for those with Blus Badges.

See the Tides Festival if you re coming for that event.

Alongside it the Emirates airline/ cable car .

Accessible toilets

There is an accessible toilet (needs a radar key) by the exit of the N Greenwich station. And at the 02 with the restaurants too, many of them have accessible toilets. And a Changing Places toilet.

portaloo

At the city centre, near the Cutty Sark, there is a portable loo.

All along there are restaurants and pubs, some of which have accessible toilets although it must be said that they are not so easy to locate.

There is another Changing Places toilets at IKEA.

Accessible restarants in Greenwich

At the Tides Festival, Greenwich Peninsula

For part of two last weekends ( 5-7th and 12-14th July) , I happened to be at Greenwich Peninsula when the the official opening was celebrated – of The Tide, “the elevated riverside park on Greenwich Peninsula, reported as created by the co-designers of the High Line in NYC.

The lift from the front next to the 02 is not working as yet so the ramp has to be used for access to the walkway.

  • view from ramp
    view from the ramp
  • view from the ramp
  • view from the ramp
    view from the ramp
  • view of walkway
  • view of walkway
  • view from the ramp

While it was well attended, the festival was not over crowded. The festival goers enjoyed the music.

Edited
Part of the musical events

Access

Normally for that area, it is all level access. However, some of the higher cable casings which were used to keep the electricity cables protected were barriers for wheelchair users and those with mobility issues. It is curious that while many of the raised strips were low and accessible, some were not, especially those near the street food stalls.

I will revisit and write more on this area – more events have been announced for the present future.

  • accessible
  • not accessible
  • lift not working yet

Canary Wharf accessibility

its a walkway flanked by tall buildings on both sides with people sitting out at tables. 'Sticks and Sushi' is one of the signs
Step free access most of the way with accessible loos

Canary Wharf is not an obvious place to go to for a Sunday brunch. After all it’s the business heartland of East London. However, if it is accessible restaurants with good transport links that you are aiming for – where you do not have to worry about getting in or asking about accessible loos, then it is a good place to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Firstly Canary Wharf is on the Jubilee Line, an accessible tube station. You can also go there by boat/ferry Thames Clippers. It might be a change using  water transport instead of bus or the tube. The only annoying thing about using this service is that the staff always ask if I have a mobility scooter recognition card, they cannot seem to be able to differentiate between a scooter and a wheelchair. But you get 50% off the fare with a Freedom Pass as does your companion. (remember to ask for it, they won’t tell you.) My bugbear with Canary Wharf is that the signage is not brilliant. I always get lost.

Thanes Clipper at the end of the pier with London Eye in the foreground and Big Ben and Houses of Parliament in the backgroud.
you can take the boat from the Southbank for a ride up the river.

There are many types of restaurants with cuisines from all over the world, American (Big Easy) to Chinese Dim Sum (Royal China), Indian (Chai Ki), Japanese (Roka), Italian (Carluccios), Carribean ( Boisdale) breakfast (Breakfast Club). These are just a few that have been personally tried. I have not found any independent restaurants yet, these are all chains.

After brunch or lunch, you can always visit the Crossway Place Roof Garden or visit the Museum of London Docklands. (warning that there is cobbled streets outside the museum) If you have a need for retail therapy, there are many many shops that you can find on the high street and some more exclusive shops. There is also the urban landscape that is quite spectacular in its own right, worth having a stroll.

 

The Nomadic Garden Party

huge mural which has text and central is a red double decker with tentacles out of its windows
impressive Meeting of Styles Mural at the garden

On the May day bank holiday, I went to something I saw curiously advertised as the Nomadic Garden 2nd Birthday Party.

I asked if it was accessible as I am interested in communal gardens, they said it was but it would’t be smooth as the flooring was woodchips

” The ground is covered in wood chips so not easy for a self-propelled but an Indoor/Outdoor wheelchair would be fine. No stepped access or hazards from main gate “

It took us (I went with my intrepid support worker, James) some time to find the space. I was slightly side tracked by the stalls on Brick lane.

We found it in the end and we met James/Jimmy who gave us a potted history of the place – as is narrated in the video.

East Asian woman with hat sitting next to a white man.
with James/ Jimmy who started the project

James told me of the Raggae BBQ party and campfire they have every weekend. The floor might be woodchip strewn but they did think of rudimentary access ramps for wheelchair users.

ramp up to the stage

wooden ramp
wooden ramp

Many of the plants were in raised beds so they can easily be accessed by some wheelchair users, the people were genearally friendly. It is an accessible place to bring some friends and hang out! Especially when the weather is good!

James said they would definitely like to open it up to more disabled people. Party anyone?

Next event party Meeting of Styles – 27th/28th May

Address Nomadic Gardens E2 6EE Shoreditch

“Voices of the Movement” Sunday 7th May, 5pm & 7.30pm at Park Theatre

Voices of The Movement Promo Video

Over Land & Sea, I follow my Destiny…

What if you had to leave your home, and the life you once knew?
And what if the physical journey was the least of your concern?

Could you take this personal journey, not only leaving your home & family but leaving yourself to become someone new?

Ten true life stories come together in this vibrant piece of the theatre which challenges the stigma associated with displacement.

The company is comprised of artists, refugees, asylum seekers and migrants who have devised this piece of theatre in just 15 weeks.

see more and book here

Performances
5pm & 7.30pm

Prices*
£8 full price, £5 concessions

A shout out for Miss Jacqui! who will be performing!

Accessible music creativity and plus

Last weekend I went to the #MozzFest to visit Sophie Partridge and John Kelly at their workshops facilitating and using DMLab from Drake music

Accessible musical instruments remove barriers to music making for disabled musicians, allowing creative expression and choice in music making.

There is a real need for a broader variety of accessible instruments, at Drake Music we bridge the gap between musicians and makers, technologists, coders and developers to pioneer new accessible music technology.

Non-disabled people can make music in many ways and at many different levels. Drake Music’s vision is a world where disabled people have the same range of opportunities and a culture of integrated music-making, where disabled and non-disabled musicians work together as equals.

woman in wheelchair with young child looking on beside her, they re looking at a mobile device
Sophie Partridge with young learner

At another session, I was fascinated by a program, Stage Genie, which uses some kind of tracking movement to create music. It was demonstrated  by Dan Mailman.

group of people looking at a man looking at a computer screen
Dmailman demonstrating how the sound was activated by the red colour in the glove

With all the videos which were shown, I was also happy to go to a session on fast editing of transcripts with fast text based auto editing. I was wondering how accessible would videos be for people with hearing impairments.

There was much more to learn and try out at the fest and good to see the diversity and accessibility tackled using media and technology. However, no subtitles or transcript in the video below.