The Great British Stage Swindle
Meet the Playwrights
Meet the Playwrights
The Great British Stage Swindle
It is an accepted fact that the voices of disabled people have been missing from culture for far too long, and that we have been misrepresented by dominant culture in a series of negative stereotypes and tropes. Little Cog Artistic Director, Vici Wreford-Sinnott, has spent her artistic life creating new disabled protagonists in disabled-led work, campaigning for change and developing opportunities for other disabled artists. Here, with her own Arts Council England funding, she has created an online playwriting course stemming from her previous masterclass commissioned by Disability Arts Online, also called The Great British Stage Swindle. Vici is very clear that if we do not support and commission disabled-led work, voices remain missing and we are not telling the truth about who we are as a society. We are pleased to support this project and look forward to welcoming a first cohort of writers onto the project.
About the Course
Over six online sessions, UK based disabled writers new to playwriting, or experienced writers looking for a refresher, are exploring a range of entry points to creating disabled-led plays. Vici Wreford-Sinnott, theatre/screenwriter and director is joined by guest facilitators Cheryl Martin, Simon Startin and Deirdre McLaughlin to explore accessible practice, disabled-led approaches, character, narrative, structure, disabled voices and accessible aesthetics. The project aimed to include voices from all disability communities - this is a space for all disabled voices.
It is an accepted fact that the voices of disabled people have been missing from culture for far too long, and that we have been misrepresented by dominant culture in a series of negative stereotypes and tropes. Little Cog Artistic Director, Vici Wreford-Sinnott, has spent her artistic life creating new disabled protagonists in disabled-led work, campaigning for change and developing opportunities for other disabled artists. Here, with her own Arts Council England funding, she has created an online playwriting course stemming from her previous masterclass commissioned by Disability Arts Online, also called The Great British Stage Swindle. Vici is very clear that if we do not support and commission disabled-led work, voices remain missing and we are not telling the truth about who we are as a society. We are pleased to support this project and look forward to welcoming a first cohort of writers onto the project.
About the Course
Over six online sessions, UK based disabled writers new to playwriting, or experienced writers looking for a refresher, are exploring a range of entry points to creating disabled-led plays. Vici Wreford-Sinnott, theatre/screenwriter and director is joined by guest facilitators Cheryl Martin, Simon Startin and Deirdre McLaughlin to explore accessible practice, disabled-led approaches, character, narrative, structure, disabled voices and accessible aesthetics. The project aimed to include voices from all disability communities - this is a space for all disabled voices.
Caroline Mawer
I’m a theatre/movement maker and multimedia artist, producing performance; plus installations; weaving; digital drawing over my photography; and video including all of the above.
My first production - Deathbed Skiing - started on the side of a mountain, and ended in a Luscious Fruiting Forest of Dreams.
Shielding in the first Covid wave, I made a stage-set installation Safe as Houses - with dead bodies coming out the back of my TV, alongside two sound pieces for radio, my first (prizewinning) film, and more.
I’ve got (many!) things to say about the inequities of disability while Covid still rampages.
I’m a theatre/movement maker and multimedia artist, producing performance; plus installations; weaving; digital drawing over my photography; and video including all of the above.
My first production - Deathbed Skiing - started on the side of a mountain, and ended in a Luscious Fruiting Forest of Dreams.
Shielding in the first Covid wave, I made a stage-set installation Safe as Houses - with dead bodies coming out the back of my TV, alongside two sound pieces for radio, my first (prizewinning) film, and more.
I’ve got (many!) things to say about the inequities of disability while Covid still rampages.
Cesía Leon-Alvarez (she/her)
Cesía Leon-Alvarez was born in September 1989 and has not yet died.
She writes and makes games, and insists on specialising in immersive theatre.
In 2002 she caught a frog, named it Sméagol, and kept it as a secret pet for almost two weeks.
Cesía ticks enough diversity boxes to form a representation focus group by herself.
She will have a thumb-war with absolutely anybody as long as they don’t cheat (twisting from the wrist).
Please do not contact Cesía about doing unpaid work in exchange for ‘exposure’ as a refusal often offends.
Cesía Leon-Alvarez was born in September 1989 and has not yet died.
She writes and makes games, and insists on specialising in immersive theatre.
In 2002 she caught a frog, named it Sméagol, and kept it as a secret pet for almost two weeks.
Cesía ticks enough diversity boxes to form a representation focus group by herself.
She will have a thumb-war with absolutely anybody as long as they don’t cheat (twisting from the wrist).
Please do not contact Cesía about doing unpaid work in exchange for ‘exposure’ as a refusal often offends.
Photo Credit: Christy Ku Photography
Elspeth Wilson
Elspeth Wilson is a writer and poet who is interested in exploring the limitations and possibilities of the body through writing, as well as writing about joy and happiness from a marginalised perspective. Her writing has been shortlisted for Canongate’s Nan Shepherd Prize and Penguin’s Write Now scheme. She is co-founder of the Writing Happiness project, which aims to increase opportunities for D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people to write about joy, and regularly facilitates accessible workshops. She is currently working on her first screenplay.
Elspeth Wilson is a writer and poet who is interested in exploring the limitations and possibilities of the body through writing, as well as writing about joy and happiness from a marginalised perspective. Her writing has been shortlisted for Canongate’s Nan Shepherd Prize and Penguin’s Write Now scheme. She is co-founder of the Writing Happiness project, which aims to increase opportunities for D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people to write about joy, and regularly facilitates accessible workshops. She is currently working on her first screenplay.
Honor Flaherty
Honor Flaherty is an aspiring disabled writer from Leicestershire.
After a successful career in professional theatre production, she decided it was time to take her writing dreams seriously, so she successfully completed a MA in TV Screenwriting. She has had some moderate successes with published short stories, and co-written a short film called Pop. She was also a co-writer on a feature film called 50 Kisses, which was produced by London Screenwriters Festival.
More recently she has completed the Comedy Lab Sketch Writing course with Soho Theatre, as well an array of courses with Little Cog, DANC, Theatre 503 and The Lyric, Belfast. She is currently part of Leicester’s Curve Theatre playwriting scheme.
Honor Flaherty is an aspiring disabled writer from Leicestershire.
After a successful career in professional theatre production, she decided it was time to take her writing dreams seriously, so she successfully completed a MA in TV Screenwriting. She has had some moderate successes with published short stories, and co-written a short film called Pop. She was also a co-writer on a feature film called 50 Kisses, which was produced by London Screenwriters Festival.
More recently she has completed the Comedy Lab Sketch Writing course with Soho Theatre, as well an array of courses with Little Cog, DANC, Theatre 503 and The Lyric, Belfast. She is currently part of Leicester’s Curve Theatre playwriting scheme.
Jessica Secmezsoy-Urquhart
Jessica Secmezsoy-Urquhart is a 28 year old autistic, nonbinary, lesbian, working class and chronically ill writer, filmmaker and PhD researcher focused on disability history. Currently working on a novel about their Turkish grandfather/Dede’s childhood which has already resulted in representation by book seeker agency, their first short film called Constant Companion was released last year online. They hope to take their current writing expertise to the (for them) exciting, challenging and new area of playwriting and are excited to learn new things about the writing process and meet other disabled creatives whose voices deserve to be heard.
Jessica Secmezsoy-Urquhart is a 28 year old autistic, nonbinary, lesbian, working class and chronically ill writer, filmmaker and PhD researcher focused on disability history. Currently working on a novel about their Turkish grandfather/Dede’s childhood which has already resulted in representation by book seeker agency, their first short film called Constant Companion was released last year online. They hope to take their current writing expertise to the (for them) exciting, challenging and new area of playwriting and are excited to learn new things about the writing process and meet other disabled creatives whose voices deserve to be heard.
JulieMc McNamara (She/ Her/ Sir)
JulieMc is an outspoken advocate for Disability-led cultural revolution and an award-winning writer, theatre and documentary filmmaker. Her work is driven by social justice and actively seeks out unheard voices from the political periphery. She is co-founder of the Disability film Festival with Caglar Kimyoncu (1999 - 2007) and co-founder with Isobel Hawson of the Disability-led theatre company Vital Xposure, where she was Artistic Director until 2020. She is also a survivor of Long Covid and currently socializes as a human condom to model spatial integrity and the inclusion of Disabled people in social spaces.
JulieMc is an outspoken advocate for Disability-led cultural revolution and an award-winning writer, theatre and documentary filmmaker. Her work is driven by social justice and actively seeks out unheard voices from the political periphery. She is co-founder of the Disability film Festival with Caglar Kimyoncu (1999 - 2007) and co-founder with Isobel Hawson of the Disability-led theatre company Vital Xposure, where she was Artistic Director until 2020. She is also a survivor of Long Covid and currently socializes as a human condom to model spatial integrity and the inclusion of Disabled people in social spaces.
Lucy Goodwill (she/her)
Lucy Goodwill is a disabled writer, artist and educator based in London. By day she works in the charity sector, supporting young people to tell their stories to effect change, whilst writing essays and fiction inspired by her own experiences in her spare time.
Lucy has always had a passion for the theatre, but felt unable to find her place in it due to her chronic health conditions. She is thrilled to have been offered this opportunity to explore how her writing and stories could evolve for the stage, and to be able to do so in a truly accessible way.
Lucy Goodwill is a disabled writer, artist and educator based in London. By day she works in the charity sector, supporting young people to tell their stories to effect change, whilst writing essays and fiction inspired by her own experiences in her spare time.
Lucy has always had a passion for the theatre, but felt unable to find her place in it due to her chronic health conditions. She is thrilled to have been offered this opportunity to explore how her writing and stories could evolve for the stage, and to be able to do so in a truly accessible way.
Porcelain Delaney
Porcelain is writer/ performer based in Manchester. Her first full-length solo play 'Nameless' was debuted last year with DaDa Fest and she is currently developing 'Breeding Machine' with the support of Arts Council England. She performed her short play 'Reflection' on BBC Upload and has had her writing featured on BBC Newsjack.
Porcelain is writer/ performer based in Manchester. Her first full-length solo play 'Nameless' was debuted last year with DaDa Fest and she is currently developing 'Breeding Machine' with the support of Arts Council England. She performed her short play 'Reflection' on BBC Upload and has had her writing featured on BBC Newsjack.
Sahera Khan (she/her)
Sahera Khan is a Muslim, Deaf and BSL user, Writer/Creator, Artist/Actress, Filmmaker & YouTuber.
Sahera started writing to share her many creative stories with others. In 2010 she enrolled in a number of creative writing courses, then created her first blog for short pieces, before combining these into a book ‘My Creative Writing’ which she self published via Kindle. She has written nine ebooks. These covered a range of topics like children’s stories, fiction and non-fiction.
She has written several short screenplays for screen and theatre scripts, including a short film called ‘He Stood Me Up’ which was commissioned by BSL Zone.
Her poem is Why Together? published Together! 2012 Poetry Anthology 2020.
She wrote a short play No Words (2021) part of a research and development project which was funded by Definitely Theatre. The project is about a Deaf woman ‘Nice’, she was arrested and charged for ABH. She was imprisoned for six months. She reveals the truth behind her journey in the justice system.
Her first piece of journal published the book ‘Maternal Journal: A creative guide to journaling through pregnancy, birth and beyond’ (2021).
Also her poem ‘My Glow’ published What Meets the Eye? The Deaf Perspective book (2021).
Sahera Khan is a Muslim, Deaf and BSL user, Writer/Creator, Artist/Actress, Filmmaker & YouTuber.
Sahera started writing to share her many creative stories with others. In 2010 she enrolled in a number of creative writing courses, then created her first blog for short pieces, before combining these into a book ‘My Creative Writing’ which she self published via Kindle. She has written nine ebooks. These covered a range of topics like children’s stories, fiction and non-fiction.
She has written several short screenplays for screen and theatre scripts, including a short film called ‘He Stood Me Up’ which was commissioned by BSL Zone.
Her poem is Why Together? published Together! 2012 Poetry Anthology 2020.
She wrote a short play No Words (2021) part of a research and development project which was funded by Definitely Theatre. The project is about a Deaf woman ‘Nice’, she was arrested and charged for ABH. She was imprisoned for six months. She reveals the truth behind her journey in the justice system.
Her first piece of journal published the book ‘Maternal Journal: A creative guide to journaling through pregnancy, birth and beyond’ (2021).
Also her poem ‘My Glow’ published What Meets the Eye? The Deaf Perspective book (2021).
Tanya Akrofi (she/her/hers)
Tanya is a writer and oral storyteller who has an ongoing fascination with fairytales and folklore. As a workshop facilitator for children and adults, her ambition is to reconnect all of us, with the healing power of oral traditions. Her inspirations range from the Anansi tales of her Ghanaian childhood, to Angela Carter to the local tales of the Lincolnshire countryside. She is a South London Gyal living in Lincoln.
Tanya is a writer and oral storyteller who has an ongoing fascination with fairytales and folklore. As a workshop facilitator for children and adults, her ambition is to reconnect all of us, with the healing power of oral traditions. Her inspirations range from the Anansi tales of her Ghanaian childhood, to Angela Carter to the local tales of the Lincolnshire countryside. She is a South London Gyal living in Lincoln.
