Tees Valley Festival Grows in its Third Year

Our Stomping Grounds Celebrates Learning Disabled and Learning Disabled Neurodivergent Culture with a whole building takeover of ARC Stockton, sharing theatre, cinema, dance, a photographic exhibition, lively discussions, big packed lunch socials, new work commissions, a cabaret and a daytime rave. It truly is a celebration so come along and enjoy a cultural party. Festival Dates Tuesday 25 - Thursday 27 November 2025.

About Little Cog, Full Circle and Learning Disabled-Led Cultural Practice

Full Circle is an award-winning independent theatre company of learning disabled theatre makers making critically acclaimed original work, in a long term collaboration with Little Cog. Little Cog is a leading disabled-led UK theatre company based in the North East and noted for its pioneering models of practice, presenting them to practitioners and arts leaders across the globe. Artistic Director Vici Wreford-Sinnott has been an active member of the UK Disability Arts Movement for over 30 years. Her work has toured internationally, and her BBC commissioned film Hen Night has been seen by over 1 million people across the world. She is currently completing a PhD in the representation of disabled people in theatre and television, is regarded as a leading authority on the subject, and is a recipient of the North East Arts and Culture Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts.

The combined work of Little Cog and Full Circle has a place of cultural significance in the arts landscape of both the North East and the UK more widely, ensuring that original stories led by disabled people are supported, platformed and celebrated. Without these artistic voices Britain would not be telling the truth about who it is as a society. Often the least heard voices and the least told stories reveal depth about all of our identities. Little Cog believes in the value of community and culture as core to civil society, and works passionately as a collectivist force for change. 

"Trail-blazing theatre putting disabled people at the heart of their stories, created by a company who will not rest until there is change in this country" 
ARC Stockton Audience Member

The work of Little Cog and Full Circle speaks to what it is to be Northern, disabled, funny, powerful and political whilst creating beautiful nuanced theatre work. The practice is pioneering, having been developed over decades, and provides exemplars of good practice for any practitioners working with communities, especially those who work with, or wish to work with, disabled people. Little Cog and Full Circle have been creating sell-out shows for 14 years at ARC. Full Circle has toured productions regionally, at festivals, and in 2022 was commissioned by  Stockton International Riverside Festival (SIRF) to create a full production. Little Cog had an accessible stage purpose built and the show was called Stomping Ground. It was about where you feel at home, where you belong and where you feel you don’t. This production inspired the Our Stomping Grounds Festival.

About Our Stomping Grounds Festival

Our Stomping Grounds Festival is significant in the cultural landscape of the North East, as it is planned by a team of 18 learning disabled people involved in the arts who make up the Festival Planning Group who have designed the activities, events and programme, supported by a specialist disabled-led team from Little Cog who have developed key facilitation practices and access techniques to ensure the full involvement of learning disabled people. The Festival is supported by ARC Stockton, the largest Arts Centre in the North East of England and is funded by Arts Council England through project grants. 
 
Now in its third and biggest year, Our Stomping Grounds Festival was initially a response to the unprecedented experience of the Covid-19 lockdowns. Artistic Director, Vici Wreford-Sinnott states, “That first Our Stomping Grounds Festival was powerful and emotional. It was about reconnecting after lots of uncertainty and extended isolation for lots of disabled people. ARC filled with people, I mean it was packed to the rafters, and they celebrated each other, watched the work, danced in the daytime rave, talked, so much so that you could feel the buzz throughout the building. ARC Staff came out of their offices and joined us, amazed at the atmosphere. It was incredible and we knew it was something that was needed.”

This year the Festival has the added component of the  Take Up Space Conference, in addition to all the theatre, dance, comedy, dance, visual art and cinema, at the mid-point on Wednesday 26 November. Learning disabled people will be host, keynote speakers and panellists. It is a time for them to unite, to discuss the barriers they experience, to discuss practice and to explore plans for the future. It is also a time for arts professionals to get to know learning disabled artists and companies, to discover new innovative practice, and to consider ways forward for their own work in engaging, involving and commissioning disabled practitioners. 

So three years on, since July, there has been a hugely successful sold out Programme of Arts Workshops with some of the region’s most talented artists including singing with singer-songwriter Bridie Jackson, percussion with musician Gary Bowden, huge banner making with scenic artist Trish Mayes, a 'Feeling Magnificent Catwalk' workshop with performance artist Lindsay Nicholson, a Bollywood dance workshop with Tees Valley Artist of the Year, Umar Butt, festival flags with poet and writer Aisha Lama, 'Wig and Moustache Comedy Workshop' with award winning performer Scott Turnbull,  DJing with the Krok Krew DJs, dance with Urban Kaos among many more.

Four new work commissions are also underway consisting of the Place of Power Portrait Exhibition which is now open to the public in ARC and features fine art photographic portraits taken by internationally acclaimed photographer Kev Howard. A Film-Poem has been co-created by a group of learning disabled wordsmiths working with award winning poet Lizzie Lovejoy and acclaimed filmmaker John Kirkbride entitled, 360 Degrees, We are not going anywhere. Multi-album creating composer and singer-songwriter Beccy Owen has written Freedom Train with learning disabled neurodivergent lyricists, which will be performed by SYSTEMIC Inclusive Choir. Dynamic force of dance Urban Kaos is co-creating an incredible performance piece with Clover Group Middlesbrough which will premiere at the Stomp Cabaret at the Festival.  To say we are excited is un understatement. 

​Our Stomping Grounds Festival is an opportunity to see and appreciate the work of learning disabled artists, to have your expectations and perceptions challenged, to be in on the cusp of something exciting and to enjoy yourself with colleagues. The atmosphere is galvanizing and uplifting. Disabled people don't hide away in the 21st century - we're very much part of the equitable cultural landscape. We're encouraging our allies from the arts to attend to hear about learning disabled neurodivergent artists experiences of the arts, to see their work, to be in at the beginning of something, and to consider how to incorporate our work into your work. ​

You can find out more about the Festival Programme with booking information here 
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The Take Up Space Conference is aimed at Learning Disabled Artists, and Arts Practitioners from the Art and Culture Sector. Details are being regularly updated here 
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For more information/interviews contact chantal.taylor@arconline.co.uk