This month's episode is on Disability And....Reasons To Be Cheerful. John Kelly chats with Stephen Lloyd and Jude Mahon about Graeae's stage show Reasons To Be Cheerful. They talk about the journey they have been on over the last ten years, along with a few cheeky stories and what the show has meant to them and their audiences.   

You can watch Graeae's hit musical Reasons To Be Cheerful (with captions) until the 3rd August 2020. Visit graeae.org. An audio described version is also available via the website. 

On this month's podcast previous Disability Arts Online Guest Editor Alexandrina Hemsley speaks to writer, producer, digital composer and equality/diversity advocate Deborah Williams. They talk about the historic exclusion of artists of colour from both the mainstream and disability arts worlds, coping strategies and some of the artists working today who they admire.

Sandra Alland talks to Shafiq Ghafoor, Mattie Kennedy and Cate Lauder about Disability and...working-class LGBTQIA+ perspectives on the arts in Scotland. Recorded at National Theatre of Scotland's Rockvilla studios, Sandra and their guests discuss community, barriers for multiply-marginalised people in the Scottish arts scene, and the arts futures they're dreaming up. Links: The Edinburgh Samba School https://www.edinburghsambaschool.org/ LGBT Health and Wellbeing https://www.lgbthealth.org.uk/ Pilton Video http://www.piltonvideoarchive.org/ Oska Bright Film Festival https://oskabright.org/ Matthew Hellett's Mrs Sparkle https://vimeo.com/11961253 Vogue Scotland https://www.facebook.com/VogueScotland/

For episode 11 of the Disability And… Podcast, Graeae’s Associate Director Nickie Miles-Wildin chats to actress Sarah Gordy on Disability and Performing. Sarah talks about her role in Jellyfish at the National Theatre and her various TV roles including Call the Midwife and her first professional job on Peak Practice.

Episode 10 of the Disability And...Podcast features excerpts from Disability Arts Online’s Contested Spaces panel debate, which took place at The Foundry, London in January 2020. It was chaired by artist and curator, Aidan Moesby. On the panel was curator and founder of Jennifer Lauren Gallery, Jennifer Gilbert, Senior Curator of Middlesborough Institute of Modern Art, Elinor Morgan and artist Ashokkumar Mistry. It also has some reflections from the audience.

For episode 9 of the Disability And.. Podcast, Graeae’s Creative Learning Director chats to theatre maker and filmmaker, Matilda Ibini about Disability and the Stories We Tell. Matilda tells us how she got into writing, the barriers she’s faced as a writer and the most precious advice she’s ever received! This podcast contains some strong language.

For episode 8 of the Disability And...Podcast Disability Arts Online Associate Artist and freelance curator Aidan Moesby speaks to curator and founder of Jennifer Lauren Gallery, Jennifer Gilbert about Disability and...Curation. Aidan and Jennifer discuss the nature of curation, barriers to visual art for disabled artists, lack of representation and possible solutions to getting more disabled artists in mainstream visual art settings. With special thanks this month to Chapel FM in Leeds, for hosting the conversation. This podcast contains some strong language. On 9 January 2020 at the Foundry, London, Aidan and Jennifer will be joined by Elinor Morgan (Middlesborough Institute for Modern Art) and Ashok Mistry (freelance artist) for Contested Spaces: a curatorial conversation. Book your free ticket here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/contested-spaces-a-curatorial-conversation-tickets-83981526005? A transcript of this podcast is available here: https://disabilityarts.online/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Disability-and-Curation-Podcast-Final-Transcript.docx The Jennifer Lauren Gallery website: https://www.jenniferlaurengallery.com/ Aidan's website: https://www.aidanmoesby.co.uk/

For Episode 7, Graeae’s Creative Learning Director, Jodi-Alissa Bickerton, is joined by politician, disability activist and winner of 11 gold Paralympic medals, Baroness Grey-Thompson. Also joining Jodi is Mandy Colleran, a comic, writer, actress and disability arts activist. This podcast includes the celebration of disabled women, key moments of the roles they have played in national politics and disability rights movement and the best thing about being disabled!

This month, Disability Arts Online's Editor, Colin Hambrook, chats with musician and grassroots activist, Dennis Queen on Disability and...Activism. Dennis is a veteran of the Disability Rights Movement and has long been involved with Disabled People Against the Cuts (DPAC), Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People (GMCDP) and Not Dead Yet. Dennis speaks to Colin about past campaigns and the recent controversy around an inaccessible monument installed in Manchester to commemorate the Peterloo Massacre.

For episode 5, Graeae’s Associate Director Nickie Miles-Wildin speaks to Jess Thom, an artist, theatremaker and co-founder of acclaimed company Touretteshero, which celebrates and shares the creativity and humour of Tourettes in an accessible way. Jess talks about the idea behind Touretteshero, the importance of relaxed performances and the impact recent changes in policy have had on disabled people. This podcast contains strong language.