Disability Arts Online

Disabled and Deaf artists have been selected to present their work at a high profile showcase programme as part of the Brighton Festival.

Eleven artists have been chosen to represent some of the best quality work being undertaken by disabled and Deaf artists in the South East as part of Up-Stream a major new showcasing programme being run by the arts organisation, Dada-South supported by Arts Council England.

Amongst the artworks being presented will be new work by dance company Deaf Men Dancing and a series of works by disabled artist / writer Colin Hambrook, who combines poetry and drawing to make edgy, delicate, artworks for his latest project 100 Houses.

Other artists presenting their work include Jon Adams, Noemi Lakmaier, the Oska Bright Film Festival (the world’s first film festival run by learning disabled practitioners), Project Art Works in Hastings, Freewheelers Theatre Company, Sally Booth, Juan DelGado, Gary Thomas and filmmaker Charlie Swinbourne.

This work will form part of this year’s Brighton Festival and will contribute to the Cultural Olympiad and the build up to London 2012.

Stevie Rice, Director of Dada-South said “This is a fabulous opportunity for us to present some of the best, innovative and exciting works of art by South East disabled and Deaf artists within a major event such as Brighton Festival.

One of the artists who has received an Up-Stream commission, Gary Thomas said: “I was very excited to have been selected for Up-Stream. It is proof that my work is of quality and that I've been going in the right direction. I am also excited about the development opportunities this presents, I am hoping to go to Finland to meet with an artist who was a great inspiration to me, as well as look at how my work can be seen by more people."

Visual artist Sally Booth, said: “I was surprised and thrilled to be offered a place on the Upstream Showcase Project.  It will enable me to show a selection of recent work that I’ve undertaken on residencies in Hastings and Liverpool. I’ve never been part of Brighton Festival before so this is a chance for me to reach a new audience. As the project has progressed I’ve also been struck by how valuable the professional development aspect of the programme will be to me, particularly in this tight financial climate. I will be able to spend a bit of time and money continuing to develop my website, purchase items of equipment and undertake some training that I would not be able to afford otherwise. This will both benefit me as part of the Upstream Project development and longer term. The Showcase also offers me the opportunity to meet curators and other arts professionals who I would not otherwise have access to, with the potential to develop new relationships and further exhibitions. I’m also excited and looking forward to seeing the development and work undertaken by the other disabled artists selected for this programme.” 

This programme of contemporary and progressive work will demonstrate the enormous creative talent that the region’s disabled and Deaf artists have and how essential it is that disabled and Deaf people play a critical role in events building up to and surrounding London 2012.

Up-Stream will be a benchmark to excellence in programming great work made by disabled people and will show that the South East is the lead region for disabled people’s cultural activity.” Up-Stream will take place between 24th and 26th May in Brighton.

Celebrations will kick off on Tuesday 24th May at 7:45pm with ‘Sense of Freedom’ performed by Deaf Men Dancing at the Pavilion Theatre in Brighton. Tickets cost £15 for the performance and Question and Answer session with the company. Freewheelers Theatre Company will perform ‘Your Call is Important to Us’ on Wednesday 25th May at 7:45pm at The Old Market in Hove. Tickets cost £8. Book your tickets: Telephone: 01273 709709 Online: tickets@brightondome.org In person: Ticket Office, Brighton Dome, 29 New Road, Brighton, BN1 1UG

Further Information: www.up-stream.org.uk and info@up-stream.org.uk Up-Stream is part of Accentuate, a transformational programme of 15 projects which seeks to change perceptions and offer opportunities to showcase the talents of deaf and disabled people. Inspired by the South East’s proud heritage of Stoke Mandeville as the birthplace of the Paralympic Movement. Accentuate has 1000 days to create a cultural shift. Screen South is the home of Accentuate.

Esther Fox, Programme Director for Accentuate said "Accentuate is delighted that Up-Stream will go a long way to challenge any preconceptions by promoting talent of deaf and disabled artists and performers. This is at the heart of everything Accentuate does and contributes to our aim of creating a cultural shift in time for the 2012 Games. We are extremely proud of Up-Stream and our other projects who are delivering groundbreaking work."