UK Disability Arts Alliance Day of Social Media Action

As an emergency response to the invisibility and exclusion of disabled people during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, a UK alliance of disabled artists, disabled-led and disability-focussed inclusive organisations is holding a series of campaigns to demand our involvement in planning for the future.  On 17 June 2020 we are holding a Day of Social Media Action to highlight and celebrate the rich, beautiful and powerful voices of disabled artists from across the UK. These films are a 24 hour pop-up by kind arrangement with Home Manchester and ARC Stockton. They will be available on the HOME website from 18 June onward.

Vici’s Homemaker commission presents work in two parts – the short film Siege exploring what it means to be disabled and ‘looked at’ and The Wrong Woman Discussions, a series of five themed discussion films between disabled women performance makers. Both can be seen on their own but for the full experience it is recommended to watch the discussions before watching Siege to get the full impact of the work.

A series of five themed discussion films between disabled women performance makers, as part of Siege.
Duration: Five films available below: 1 x 15 minute introduction and 4 x 20 minute discussions
Age/Content Warning – 16+ Contains very strong language and content includes discussion of discrimination, sexual assault, mental health conditions

With up to 25% of the population in some areas of the Uk consisting of disabled people there is nothing like the representation of this figure in dominant culture. Disabled people are sidelined as a 'speciality minority' and defined by deficit in populist society.
We have been fighting centuries old stereotypes and myths about disability and our value as people to have even just a little cultural space.

Well, we are fierce, we are strong and we are here to tell you we have agency. You can no longer prescribe the size of stage we occupy, or the cultural space you happen to think we deserve. It is ours. We are here. Open the door, we're coming in.

The Wrong Woman Discussions gives space for disabled performance makers to talk about transgressive women – women who break boundaries, defy definitions and explode stereotypes in their work. Five amazing disabled performance makers, reflecting a broad range of practices from live art, the TV industry, contemporary new writing for theatre, and performance work from drag to the RSC, present a sequence of themed nitty-gritty punch-packed roundtable discussions.

Curated by Vici Wreford-Sinnott
Artists: Bea Webster, Melissa Johns, Julie McNamara and Tammy Reynolds
BSL Interpretation Sue Lee
Title credit – The wrong woman is a term used by Julie McNamara in her theatre practice and research.


ACCESS INFO
Each of The Wrong Woman Discussion Films has BSL, audio description and captions included

You can find our more about the inspiration behind Siege in this blog post from Vici Wreford-Sinnott.

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The Wrong Woman Discussions

We're sorry but 24 Hour Pop Up Availability of these films for #WeShallNotBeRemoved Day is now over. They can now be viewed via HOme Manchester's website. Click here or on the image below to be taken there.

Film 1 a Introductions

Film 1b What's Expected

Film 1c Being Looked At

Film 1d Transgressing

Film 1e Agency