Groups
A tribute to the amazing groups of the North East Disability Arts Community Past and Present
A tribute to the amazing groups of the North East Disability Arts Community Past and Present
Image Description - Grin and Bear It Theatre Company performing on stage. Seven disabled actors, three of whom are wheelchair users, five of whom are holding giant white prop syringes, pointed towards a character in a white coat. Live music played by a guitarist and atmospheric stage lighting. All are singing. The group were based at The Buddle Arts Centre in Wallsend and grew out of Tyneside Disability Arts.
Groups
Disabled people have been self organising for decades. It’s essential when you are on the margins of society and culture to find and develop safe spaces to meet and share ideas, spaces to build from and expand self determination. Over the years there have been many disabled people led groups and organisations in the North East, providing bedrock foundations for a whole community of people sharing similar exclusions from public and cultural life. These entries pay tribute to all of those involved and their amazing achievements over the years. We are indebted to them. Again, no-one is intentionally left off this list and it will continue to grow.
An extract from the Special Heritage Edition from Mimosa Magazine 2009
"We've established that it all began with the Lawnmowers and the synergy of events in Disability Arts In London in the 1980s. It really would take a book to give a comprehensive history of all the activities, all of them worthy of note and record, so again we've tried to give a flavour if activities filling the last 23 years, identifying both milestones and smaller innovative events.
For a while in the North East we had a number of sub-regional agencies supporting the development of disability arts and creating new opportunities in the arts for disabled people: there were courses, projects, groups, organisations; there were films, plays, books, festivals and open days; and, there were performances, exhibitions, screenings and cabarets.
And there was an amazing feeling of community - events were packed to the rafters. Organisers had ensured that access requirements were met, that transport was available for those who needed it and there was a spirit of support for disabled peoples' involvement in and contribution to art and culture. Our voices, ideas and experiences were being heard for the first time.
The previously hidden exclusion of disabled and Deaf people was being revealed. We were active and we were organised. Disabled-led means just that - disabled people deciding what we wanted. Self-determination and dignity were on the menu. There were networks of Deaf artists and groups; projects with learning disabled artists; arts studios and projects for artists who experienced mental health conditions; theatre groups, musicians, comedians, singer-songwriters, filmmakers and film projects. National artists came to the region. There were magazines and newsletters, videos and audio cassettes. There were campaigns, marches, demonstrations, pressure groups, action groups, arts groups.
Something was happening in every part of the region. Disabled and Deaf people were making this happen."
An extract from the Special Heritage Edition from Mimosa Magazine 2009
"We've established that it all began with the Lawnmowers and the synergy of events in Disability Arts In London in the 1980s. It really would take a book to give a comprehensive history of all the activities, all of them worthy of note and record, so again we've tried to give a flavour if activities filling the last 23 years, identifying both milestones and smaller innovative events.
For a while in the North East we had a number of sub-regional agencies supporting the development of disability arts and creating new opportunities in the arts for disabled people: there were courses, projects, groups, organisations; there were films, plays, books, festivals and open days; and, there were performances, exhibitions, screenings and cabarets.
And there was an amazing feeling of community - events were packed to the rafters. Organisers had ensured that access requirements were met, that transport was available for those who needed it and there was a spirit of support for disabled peoples' involvement in and contribution to art and culture. Our voices, ideas and experiences were being heard for the first time.
The previously hidden exclusion of disabled and Deaf people was being revealed. We were active and we were organised. Disabled-led means just that - disabled people deciding what we wanted. Self-determination and dignity were on the menu. There were networks of Deaf artists and groups; projects with learning disabled artists; arts studios and projects for artists who experienced mental health conditions; theatre groups, musicians, comedians, singer-songwriters, filmmakers and film projects. National artists came to the region. There were magazines and newsletters, videos and audio cassettes. There were campaigns, marches, demonstrations, pressure groups, action groups, arts groups.
Something was happening in every part of the region. Disabled and Deaf people were making this happen."
Groups
ARCADEA
Image description. Arcadea logo is a purple circle with three further circles inset and the word arcadea in white lettering.
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Arcadea was formerly known as Northern Disability Arts Forum and became Arcadea in 2005. It was the regional disability equality forum for disabled artists in the North East and hosted many amazing strategic and artistic events including the Disability Arts Ambassador Scheme, Disabled Artists Mentoring Programme, Mimosa Cabarets, and the 2006 month long Mimosa Disability Arts Festival. In 2011 Arcadea's funding changed and it developed The Hub, an incredible artistic resource for learning disabled artists.
You can find out more about the work Arcadea does today here: www.arcadea.org |
Becoming Visible
A purple and green logo which reads Becoming Visible - at the heart of the Deaf community. Overlapping hands are shaped to show a purple person and hands for sign language.
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As well as being involved in a variety of projects aimed at raising the profile of Deaf people in the wider community, BV manages a British Sign Language/English interpreting agency, offers an extensive range of BSL training courses and has an established expertise in the production of BSL Media translation.
You can find out more about Becoming Visible on their website: Becoming Visible – British Sign Language Interpreters Newcastle |
Cleveland Arts Equality Unit
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Cleveland Arts Equality Unit |
Cleveland Arts Equality Unit was part of Cleveland Arts, a sub-regional arts development organisation. The Equality Unit developed and supported a number of innovative and new Disability Arts projects, and Arts and Disability projects, courses, workshops and cabarets. They supported many projects including The Moving On Project based in Hartlepool for learning disabled women. Many disability arts projects in Teesside grew out of support from the Equality Unit including working in partnership with Cleveland Disability Arts Network and delivery of cabarets across the area, and the New Reality Millenium Festival 2000. Cleveland Arts later became Tees Valley Arts.
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Cleveland Disability Arts Network (later Open Arts)
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Cleveland
Disability Arts Network |
Cleveland Disability Arts Network set up many workshops and organised cabarets. They produced a quarterly newsletter called What's On. They produced Panorama of Arts Disability Festival in 1997 for two weeks across Teesside. As Open Arts they worked in partnership with Cleveland Arts and delivered the New Reality Millenium Festival in 2000, bringing Outside Centre (Dr Paul Darke) from the West Midlands to the North east with digital media, painting, performance writing, film and sculpture. They ran a performance and video workshop. There was an exhibition by Ann Whitehurst, Difference Conceived and New Breed Theatre Company led a cabaret workshop.
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Disability Theatre Lab
A group of disasbled actors in a workshop, all in a huddle with arms around each other in solidarity. There are three wheelchair users in the image but all have their backs to the camera. All are engaged and enjoying what they are doing.
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Disability Theatre Lab was set up as a pilot project in 2007 for disabled theatre actors and writers. 12 people took part and developed key performance and writing skills. Many went on to perform their own work in monologues, stand up comedy, poetry and music.
They performers also performed in a series of disability cabarets around the North East and had visits from mainstream theatre directors and practitioners to share their skills and knowledge. |
Disconsortia
Image Description - A montage of 15 portrait shots of disabled artists who are members of Disconsortia. Paul James, Sarah Crutwell, Paul Miller, Karen Sheader, Hello Little Lady, Lady Kitt, Lisette Auton, Kev Howard, Coll Metcalfe, gobscure, Kim McDermottroe, Pauline Heath, Simon McKeown, Black Robin, Vici Wreford-Sinnott
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Disconsortia is a disabled artist-led collective focused on developing a vibrant community of disabled artists, who are not only seeking, but creating platforms from which to share their work. The group have received support from Arts Council England, ARC Stockton, Creative Diversity Network, Disability Arts Online, and the D4D Research project to establish themselves. They have run two small commissions programmes and held an online exhibition during the pandemic - At The Table which can still be viewed on their website.
Disconsortia members created a manifesto for their work citing their dissatisfaction at the ongoing exclusion of disabled people in the arts and culture sectors despite creating exciting and valuable work. You can find out more about them here: www.disconsortia.co.uk/ |
The Fugertivs
Image description - a young Karen Sheader performing with the Fugertivs at a Tragic But Brave Cabaret. She is playing guitar and singing, with a handwritten tragic but brave sign in front of her. She is standing at a mic, and is wearing brown velvet top and has long brown wavy hair. There is also a charity collection container in the shape of a little boy.
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The Fugertivs were a trash/punk band founded in the early 1990s by Karen Sheader and Neil Raftery. They began singing covers but Karen had longed to be a writer since childhood. Engaging with the disability arts scene and influenced by their own experiences and seeing other disabled artists such as Ian Stanton, which Karen cites as a turning point moment. They began to write their own material and played around the North East disability arts scene, eventually travelling around the country. Lyrically they were rooted in the politics of the disability rights and arts movements, and often used humour and irony. The Fugertivs performed at West Midlands Disability Arts Forum's Independence Festival and they led the Direct Action network demonstration in Newcastle as part of the Free Our People campaign, literally stopping traffic at one point. They released an album in 1999 called Joyful Noise, and thought the band split in 2000, many of their tracks remain disability arts anthems to this day.
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Full Circle
Image Description - a group of learning disabled actors on stage in Out Of The Shadows. All are wearing beige, cream and brown utilitarian costumes, are seated under open cream umbrellas and surrounded by old fashioned suitcases to resemble an air ship. A projection of clouds in the background.
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Full Circle are a learning disabled theatre ensemble based at ARC Stockton where they are an associate company. They formed in 2008 as part of local authority services and became independent in 2018. The company have toured their shows around the North East region and have large and loyal audiences in their local area. Their productions include, The Lab; The Keepers, Los Muertos, Out Of The Shadows, IN The Middle of Our Street and earlier in 2021 made a film of their proposed outdoor show Stomping Ground for Stockton International Riverside Festival. The ambition is to celebrate learning disabled peoples' lives and bring an outdoor show to SIRF in 2022 all being well.
You can find out more about the company here: Full Circle |
Get Off Our Backs / Grin and Bare It
Get Off Our Back became Grin and Baret It and this photo is at the premiere of I Am Society. We can see four performers, two of whom are wheelchair users including the late Lynn Paterson and Lisa Dennis, all wearing the red and white of a football club. They are clapping and cheering as they perform on an intimate small stage with audience very close to them. Artist and director Martine D'Ellard is also on stage performing.
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Get Off Our Back and Grin and Bare it were both names of this large collective of disabled performers based at The Buddle Arts Centre in Wallsend. They grew out of a project aimed at giving disabled people a voice and were connected to Tyneside Disability Arts. The group performed over many years, largely comedy sketches and songs using politics and humour to great effect. They performed a number of productions including Feckless and I am Society. Many of the members were involved in other disability arts activities such as Invisible Cabaret, The Happy Pills and Sycorax Women's Writing Group.
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Headway Arts
Image Description - Headway Arts Logo. Black lettering on white background. A cuboid letter 'H'.
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Headway Arts are a vibrant and busy long established arts organisation based in Blyth Northumberland. They work with many community groups on a range of performance and visual art programmes and have built a real community around themselves. They founded Seven Stars learning disability theatre group in 1996 and it is still going strong today. The Stars and Headway run The Come ON Down Festival which is a regional learning disability arts festival. They run ArtSpace a cultural hub in Blyth and also work extensively with international partners.
You can find out more here: ArtSpace – Headway Arts |
Invisible Cabaret
Image Description - A black and white photograph of Invisible Cabaret - a disabled women's comedy collective set up in the 1990s. There are four women who are wheelchair users in front and seven women standing behind them. They are all smiling, wearing Invisible Cabaret tee shirts and on a level stage presenting a performance.
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Invisible Cabaret were a large group of disabled women interested in writing and performing, set up in the late 1990s. The group were a force to be reckoned with a performed at many disabled led events. For many of the disabled women involved it was a first platform to share their voices and experiences, and also to challenge the political change they wanted to see.
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The Karen Sheader Band
Image description - photograph of two members of the Karen Sheader band performing at the Disconsortia DIY cabaret at ARC Stockton. Karen Sheader is seated, singing and Mark Scott, also seated is playing guitar. Karen has short brown hair and is wearing a red velvet jacket, Merk is in a blue shirt.
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The Karen Sheader Band was founded after the Fugertivs split up. They began by just jamming together - Karen, Mark Scott and Del Matthews. After some initial covers, the three started writing together. The music has a gentler style that The Fugertivs, with a strong focus on storytelling and introducing us to an amazing array of characters, often with real anecdotes included. All for the Best was originally written by Karen with Scotty (Mark) composing the music. Most of the other songs are described as collaborations. As a writer Karen explores form to tell different kinds of stories and feels that there is more than one way to get a message across. New music is on the way so do check it out.
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The Lawnmowers Independent Theatre Company
Image description - The Lawnmowers logo gives their name and a pair of black and white garden shears placed over a dark red circle. Also on the red circle is a musical note, a heart and a star - all in white.
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The Lawnmowers are legends - an incredible company founded in 1986, representing the first disability focused organisation in the region. They have made huge change happen in this region, making incredible work, creating thousands of opportunities for learning disabled people and working with thousands of people over the years. Their work is always fresh, relates to their membership and pushes the boundaries of form. They have made forum theatre, physical theatre, films and performed at festivals all over the world. And they created the Krokodile Klubs across the region. So proud that they are from our area.
You can find out more about them on their website: Home - The Lawnmowers Independent Theatre Co (lawnmowerstheatre.com) |
Liberdade
Image description - Liberdade logo consists of the word Liberdade with a pink daisy like flower sprouting from it, and the words freedom moving below it.
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Liberdade are a powerful force in dance, film and theatre. They were set up in 2003 as a physical theatre company for learning disabled performers, and are now based at and run, Gosforth Civic Theatre. They were formally created in 2008. They create work to ensure people belong and from that build amazing artistic works. They are an incredible resource providing support, education and training with learning disabled people, ensuring well-being is paramount.
You can find out more on their website: Home | liberdade |
Little Cog
Two actors centre stage - Andrew McLay and Colly Metcalfe. Andrew is seated in his wheelchair. Both actors in white tops and dark trousers. In the background members of a community chorus all dresses in dark colours are reaching up with both arms. All are bathed in blue theatrical light. The production is Occupation by Pauline Heath.
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Little Cog is a disabled-led theatre company based at ARC Stockton. They are committed to challenging negative perceptions about disabled people and use their work to shine a light on the hidden stories of disabled people.
Their work revolves around national touring work and digital productions to share in live online settings as well as on demand. They support other disabled theatre practitioners with professional development, masterclasses, mentoring, commissions and platforms. Find out more about their work here: www.littlecog.co.uk/ |
National Disability Arts Forum (NDAF)
Image description - National Disability Arts Forum logo. the word national is black letters in a white box. The words disability arts are white letters un a black box. and finally the word forum is black lettering again in a white box, all placed on top of each other.
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The National Disability Arts Forum was established in 1990 to bring a focus to the cultural and historical exclusion of disabled people in the life of our country. When it was set up it was agreed that it would be an organisation of disabled people and that it's Board would consist of staff from the regional disability arts organisations, with the aim of promoting Disability arts regionally, nationally and internationally. Give the lack of understanding about disability and disabled people, and the exclusion of disabled people from the arts, another main aim of NDAF was to educate and campaign for equality. Over its lifetime NDAF delivered many important projects, initiatives, campaigns for change, brought disabled people together and kept the community informed through weekly newsletters. NDAF worked closely with the London Disability Arts Forum and saw the establishment of the Northern Disability Arts Forum for the North East of England. The National Disability Arts Forum closed in 2009. Disability Cultural projects continued to produce the etcetera email newsletter for a couple of years afterwards.
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Newcastle Deaf Theatre
White lettering on a black background reads Newcastle Deaf Theatre
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Newcastle Deaf Theatre began in the late 2010s, formed by a group of Deaf creatives to share the talents and experiences of Deaf people. They have presented work to Deaf and hearing audiences, and whilst having to take a break due to the pandemic hope to be able to create further work.
You can follow them on facebook www.facebook.com/newcastledeaftheatre/ |
Northern Disability Arts Forum (NorDAF)
Image Description - Northern Disability Arts Forum was known for bringing people together and cleebrating our community. An image from an event of a group of disasbled people involved in a discussion. The Late Geof Armstrong and Lindsay Carter are pictured. All are seated in a close circle in discussion.
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Founded in 1991 by a group of disabled artists, disabled peoples' organisations and supported by arts agencies Northern Disability Arts Forum, known as NorDAF, became the disability arts agency for the North East. NorDAF created NorDAF News a monthly print magazine, hosted mentoring projects for disabled artists, and an ambassadors scheme where disability arts specialists were placed within mainstream arts organisations to improve their knowledge of disability equality. The organisation was an RFO of Arts Council England and became Arcadea in 2005. It was very much a meeting point for hundreds of disabled artists and disabled people across the region.
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Out Of Redcar Mind
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out
of redcar mind |
A regular fixture of the Disability Arts scene was Out Of Redcar Mind, a women's performance group. The group performed at many cabarets, events and conferences across the region bringing their own brand of wit with wonderful song, poetry and performance.
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Scattered Pictures
Image Description - Scattered Pictures Logo. White lerring on a black box reads scattered pictures... followed by black lettering in a white box reading diverse perspectives.
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We love Scattered pictures who are a TV, Film and Audio production company based in the North East. The company was set up by the incredibly talented, award winning actor and producer Kim Tserkezie. The company works in a range of forms including drama, short film, scripted comedy and documentary. Their aim is to promote TV, film and audio practitioners who are traditionally under-represented both here at home and internationally. They have worked with several major broadcasters including the BBC and ITV, as well as collaborating with award winning independent companies.
You can find out much more about them here: About – Scattered Pictures |
Sensory Spaces
A female artist dressed in turtquoises and golds is playing a recorder to welcome people into a sensory spaces experience in a vacant shop in a shopping centre.
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Sensory Spaces is run by Martine Dellard and provides mobile sensory adventures in community settings - often festivals but work in vacant shops, community spaces and by invitation. In a festival setting you can experience their magic in a large tent, where inside you can find different sensory activities such as sand play, fabrics and costumes, music and singing, a visual feast, kites and banners, and crafts of all kinds. With young people with complex, sensory and neurodivergent conditions in mind, the space is for their families and allies and provides a wonderful calming and community space with actors storytelling, performing and welcoming people in.
You can find them on facebook. |
Shoot Your Mouth Off
Image description - Shoot Your Mouth Off Films Logo - the company are known by their acronym SYMO and this is in red lettering on a white background.
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Shoot Your Mouth Off Films are based in Hartlepool and were founded in 2001 by Karen Sheader. They make award winning work with learning disabled artists. Their YouTube channel has over 40,000 subscribers and their popular short film has been viewed over 10 million times! The group post regular news updates on YouTube and also have their own sitcom - Hope Springs. Whilst powerful work is created about the lives and concerns of learning disabled people, the work always has a mix of dark comedy and hilarious wit. They create all their own designs, costumes and soundtrack, with original music being a strong feature of the work. They have travelled to film festivals as far afield as Brighton and Canada.
You can see their films on you tube here: Shoot Your Mouth Off Films - YouTube |
Small World Big Drums
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Small World Big Drums |
Small World Big Drums were a percussion, performance and music project with learning disabled people and professional musicians, working with many Teesside local authorities. The group met weekly for many years and performed regularly at many venues around the region. They also collaborated with Sage Gateshead and were a regular and popular fixture on the scene. One of the lead musicians and project organisers was disabled artist Kev Howard.
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Sycorax Women’s Writing Group
Image Description - Lisa Dennis with her blond hair held back in a navy blue wide headband. It is a side profile of a young woman in her thirties, smiling as she chats to someone off camera.
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Sycorax Women's Writing Group were set up in the late 2000s and were based at Mia House, although some members also occasionally met in coffee shops nearer to their homes. The founding members included Lisa Dennis, Ann Torrode, Lynn Paterson, Pauline Heath and Vici Wreford-Sinnott. The group wrote about their experiences, and performed at a number of ARCADEA events. Ann Torrode's Hidden poem was hidden online, across a number of regional websites in 2009, leading people on a cultural trail led by a disabled poet.
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The Twisting Ducks Theatre Company
A green circular logo with an image of a white duck in the centre and a white clapperboard on a smaller circle off to the right. Black lettering spells out The Twisting Ducks Theatre Company.
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The Twisting Ducks Theatre Company have a vision for a society that values the diversity, creativity and citizenship of people with learning disabilities and autism. They are a wonderful company supporting artists to develop and share their artistic skills and talents, and working hard to change perceptions of learning disabled people. They tackle inequalities and improve wellbeing. Find out more about them here:
The Twisting Ducks Theatre Company |
Tyneside Disability Arts
Image Description - Grin and Bear It Theatre Company performing on stage. Seven disabled actors, three of whom are wheelchair users, five of whom are holding giant white prop syringes, pointed towards a character in a white coat. Live music played by a guitarist and atmospheric stage lighting. All are singing. The group were based at The Buddle Arts Centre in Wallsend and grew out of Tyneside Disability Arts.
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Tyneside Disability Arts (TDA) began in the early 1990s and was based at The Buddle Arts Centre in Wallsend, a long term ally of the burgeoning disability arts movement. The group delivered weekly arts activities for disabled people and is certainly where many disabled artists first discovered disability culture and the fact that it was possible to have a voice. From TDA various projects and groups grew, including Get Off Our Backs and Grin and Bear It Theatre companies. They hosted local and national cabaret artists including the legendary Ian Stanton, Barbara Lisicki and Jonny Crescendo among others form the Tragic But Brave and Workhouse Cabaret teams. The group ran various participatory arts projects in different parts of the region, one of which sparked the Fugertivs song No Hope ATC based on a project with partners who traditionally hadn't expected disabled people to have a view on anything, let alone a voice.
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