Crucial Conversations for Disabled Artists ​

Welcome to Little Cog's latest online Sp@ce conversations for disabled artists, building on our previous Crucial Conversation series - which you can read here . They are time for reflection in accessible spaces where disability is a given. It's important to feel connected and to know that other people are having similar experiences and also to share tips for survival in divisive times.  We'll share our findings on our website and in our Disability Arts Online Blog. Vici Wreford-Sinnott will be your host and guest speakers will bring their experience and provocations for discussion. We'll post more information soon.

Disabled artists from all communities are actively invited to attend to ensure intersectionality is at the forefront of our community and our campaigns.
​

​Monday 8 April - 6pm-7.30pm - The Progress We've Made
It’s so important when we feel overwhelmed by a negative environment to reflect and take stock of just how far we’ve come, how much change has been achieved over the last 50 years and perhaps acknowledge some community and personal pivotal moments of change. There are amazing people in our lineage, amazing people (including you) working today, and we've created and experienced much ground-breaking and pioneering activity. We’re all making history all of the time. If the pressure of that feels too much, make sure to have a cuppa on standby. So let's revel in the rebellion and enjoy each other's company.

Speaker:
​Caroline Cardus
Caroline is an eminent artist activist Caroline Cardus, who has created ground breaking disability art for over 20 years. She works collaboratively as well as individually, to tell stories of lived experience from disability and feminist perspectives. Caroline Cardus created her ground breaking protest art piece The Way Ahead, provocatively launching it on 1st October 2004 when new anti-discrimination legislation was introduced in the UK. Since then, the exhibition has been continual demand as a Disability Art protest piece. It is now part of the National Disability Arts Collection and Archive (NDACA).  More here

Speaker:
Cheryl Martin
Cheryl has recently taken up her tenure as Artistic Director of Red Ladder Theatre Company. Alongside her work writing and directing award-winning theatre productions, Cheryl has also fulfilled a variety of roles including supporting writers and practitioners at Contact Theatre, Traverse Theatre Edinburgh, and Oldham Coliseum. Cheryl has also worked with Community Arts Northwest on a series of community plays, devised with, and starring mostly women refugees and asylum seekers. More here

8 april Book on eventbrite here

​Monday 15 April - 2pm-3.30pm - Collective Voices/Personal Labour
Today's conversation recognises the power of collective voices but wants to explore the personal labour we put into this. For decades, much of sharing our voices was through direct activism or channelled through disabled people's development organisations. How do we get together and raise our voices when needed - there are so many examples in our history, in our today and in our tomorrows - but also have protection of time, energy and a shared load. Are there models we could develop in which we safeguard ourselves whilst still having an impact?

Speaker:
Ashokkumar Mistry
Ashokkumar Mistry is a Leicester-based, neurodivergent multidisciplinary artist, writer, researcher, activist & curator working in the UK and internationally. Subverting technologies and ideologies, he challenges conventional ways of making & viewing art. Ashok’s research scrutinises differences to expand our understanding of the human condition that includes impairment and disability.  His work is dialogic; encouraging interaction and debate. In an economy of inattentive distraction, his work asks us to pay close attention. More here

Speaker:
Jess Thom 
Jess Thom is an incredible British theatre maker, comedian, television writer, performer and campaigner. Jess Thom co-founded Touretteshero in 2010 as a creative response to her experience of living with Tourettes Syndrome. She campaigns for disability rights and social justice and is on a mission to change the world ‘one tic at a time.’Jess was commissioned to write Biscuitland by Channel Four which was fully developed and screened in their 2022 Comedy Blaps season, which premieres new and original talent. More here

15 april Book on eventbrite here

​Monday 22 April - 2pm-3.30pm - The Current Arts Environment 
Today's conversation focusses on our experience of the current arts environment as it struggles to rebuild during the latest stages of the pandemic. Has the hoped for change begun to be developed, are we back to square one, or is it more challenging for disabled artists? What are the biggest challenges we face as a community and are disabled people managing to keep working? Where do we go from here and what is the message we'd like to send to those with resources and decision-making powers ? We also look at our skills in positioning ourselves as equals. 

Speaker:
Dolly Sen
Dolly subverts everyday experiences and accepted norms to magnify injustice and wrong-thinking. She is working class, Queer, interested in disability and the madness given to us by the world. Dolly wants to disrupt systems that produce that programming called oppression, not through trojan horse viruses but with my little ponies on acid with a little sadness in their hearts.  Dolly is a writer, visual artist, sculptor, public artist and filmmaker.  Dolly has been a child alien in the Empire Strikes Back, written over ten books, screwed a lightbulb into the sky, and sectioned the DWP... more here 

Speaker:
Vici Wreford-Sinnott
Vici is a British disabled writer and director for theatre, screen and radio from the North East where she founded Little Cog, a disabled-led theatre company, in 2011. Vici is a leading figure in the UK Disability Arts Movement and is a proud Associate Artist at ARC Stockton. She is passionate about the cultural equity of disabled people and the ethics of who gets to tell our stories. Vici said, "If the stories of disabled people are missing from culture, we are not telling the truth about who we are as a society." She is currently working on her solo show UNRULY set to tour nationally in 2024. more here. 

22 April Book on eventbrite here

Cost - the sessions are free. 

Access - please complete your access requirements when booking and let us know if there are subjects you'd like us to avoid in conversation. We hope everyone will have an opportunity to contribute but please do note that it's also fine to attend and just listen in if your access means taking part wouldn't work for you.  We have a mutual responsibility for the care of everyone attending and to be mindful that it is a one off discussion using a solution focussed approach without a facility for ongoing support.


Definition - We use the term disabled artists in line with the social model of disability. We acknowledge not everyone uses that model and for clarity Deaf people, neurodivergent people and people with chronic conditions are included and invited to these sessions. ​

Culture of the session - the sessions are offered on the basis of mutual respect and anti-discrimination. Ableism, racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, gender based discrimination, ageism and any other discrimination will not be tolerated. We are inviting people to let us know if there are areas of content they would specifically like us to avoid and we would ask everyone to be mindful about not describing trauma. We ask everyone to be considerate with their 'air-time' and to keep comments concise enough for others to have opportunities to contribute. 

Cancellation - we understand that circumstances change. If you are no longer able to attend please let us know to free up your place for another disabled artist.

UK based disabled artists only please.