Culture Access invites you to to a Disabled & Proud Festival

This festival is partly to celebrate Disability History Month ( Disability History Month runs from 22 November to 22 December every year ) and also the UN International Day of Disabled People (3rd December. The theme for this 2019 IDPD is ‘Promoting the participation of persons with disabilities and their leadership: taking action on the 2030 Development Agenda’. ).

30th Nov 2019

****Access directions and details are here .***

Stalls from 12 .30 noon at Woolwich Central Library, SE18 6HQ

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

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

Dennis Queen performing in Greenwich 2018 photo by Wasi Daniju

Three workshops

Bathway theatre, University of Greenwich SE18 6QX

Drama workshop lead by Lucy Sheen 周麗端. Lucy is a dyslexic actor, writer, filmmaker, trainer and transracial adoptee advocate who happens to love Dim sum, Yorkshire puddings and a nice cuppa of Cha!

Lucy’s first professional job was the female lead in the ground breaking British feature film, directed by Po Ch’ih Leong PING PONG. The first British film of it’s kind to look at the issues facing the British-Chinese living and working in the UK. Lucy is now a published poet, playwright, flash fiction writer and non fiction writer (transracial adoption). She has received paid commissions from Nimble Fish Arts, The Royal Court, Komola Collective and her latest commission is from ArtEd to write one of the final year shows for their BA acting students who graduate in 2020

Annabel, photo from Shades de Noir

Lucy will be joined by Annabel Crowley in dialogue about her work. Annabel is an artist and MA researcher into cultures of neurodivergence at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London (UAL). She has worked in and around disability since 2008, currently as an access and inclusion specialist (+ visiting lecturer) at UAL and a co-director of Culture Access. 

Participants will have an opportunity to discuss with them about their own projects if they wish – time allowing. You can watch some of Lucy’s fabulous work in her website.

To attend this please book at Eventbrite for drama workshop

Photo of Dennis wearing a pink hat, suit and tie, pink glasses singing into a mic and strumming a guitar
Dennis, photo from DAO website

Music workshop lead by Mx Dennis Queen. Dennis is a grassroots activist and musician who has been performing in the disabled people’s movement since the turn of the century.

Dennis is 45, a nonbinary transgender person, and polyamorous with a rainbow family which is co-parenting and home educating 3 wonderful disabled children.

Young, Black woman in a wheelchair looking directly at the camera.

Dennis will be joined by Miss Jacqui Together, they will be working with participants to produce /compose something to be performed in the evening (that is the aim)!

To attend this please book at Eventbrite for the music workshop

photo from Richard

Smartphone Video workshop lead by Richard Hering. Richard is a broadcast documentary film maker. He trains a wide range of clients in video production, and is currently completing a book on smartphone video journalism: The Smartphone Video Activist.

black and white photo of a smiling East Asian women
Eleanor, photo by Naomi Woddis

Richard will be joined by Eleanor Lisney who is co designing the workshop for disabled people. There will be a BSL interpreter for this workshop.Eleanor has been campaigning with using smart phone as a wheelchair user for many years and has been on several video courses. Together we will be experimenting and co producing with participants.

To attend this please book at Eventbrite for video workshop

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

Alongside there will be exhibitions –​

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

“everyday wandering; going off topic; (de-)stimming; trying to enjoy the ride”
In this joint exhibition, Annabel Crowley and Shura Joseph-Gruner present their creative responses to their day-to-day neurodiversions.
Ask Annabel or Shura if you would like a talking tour of the works! Includes: photography, video and print.
Bios:
Annabel Crowley
is an artist and MA researcher into cultures of neurodivergence at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London (UAL). She has worked in and around disability since 2008, currently as an access and inclusion specialist (+ visiting lecturer) at UAL and a co-director of Culture Access. 
Shura Joseph-Gruner is an artist and teacher whose practice includes photography and curation. He works between the Brit School and UAL, helping to facilitate the creative practices of disabled students from Key Stage 4 to postgraduate studies.

Exhibition : Digital Quilt of Disabled Women (work in progress by Eleanor Lisney and Natasha Hirst and others) will be presented. This project is one of those joint shortlisted in the Royal Borough of Greenwich bid to be the borough of culture.

There will also be stalls at the library (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 Performances 6 to 8 pm, Woolwich Central Library, SE18 6HQ

Eventbrite for evening performances

Disabled artists such as Miss Jacqui (spoken word artist), Dennis Queen (musician and singer), Sorena Francis and more to be announced.

More performers : Chisato Minamimura, Naomi Jacobs, Richard Downes and Norman Mine will also be joining us. There will be BSL interpreters.

Compere : Joanna Abeyie

young woman of colour with long brown hair smiling

Joanna  is an award-winning, agenda-setting Diversity champion and recruiter, social campaigner, TV executive, broadcaster and journalist. As a campaigner for diversity within the publishing, TV, Radio, Digital and Creative Industries, Joanna is regularly at the centre of the diversity agenda, leading conversations around inclusion and representation.

****Access directions and details are here .***

with gratitude to ​Royal Borough of Greenwich Library Services, the Her Centre and University of Greenwich for their support. Many thanks to Culture Seeds supported by the Mayor of London.