On Friday, I attended the red carpet opening of Busting the Bias the leading Disability Film Festival run by the BFI (British Film Institute) As part of the front running Disability Screen Advisory Group. we have done some ground breaking work with the BFI and its great to be able to celebrate this work as part of Busting the Bias which is a festival I hope goes from strength to strength!
Please excuse the tired slightly get lagged look on my face in the picture to the left, but in what can is a highlight and slightly surreal moment in my career I can safely say I have been to Sesame Street! I have worked with the team at Sesame Workshop in combination with the team at C-Talent for a while now working with them to help improve the quality of Deaf, Disabled an Neurodivergent peoples representation as well as stuff happening behind the scenes and in an up coming season of this legendary show you will be able to see the fruits of all this hard work however I can’t tell you much more than that so shhhh.
Big news today I have had to keep this one quiet for a little while but I have been working behind the scenes as Disability and Access Consultant on the latest version of Lady Carterley’s Lover. This stars the amazing human that is Emma Corrin alongside Jack O’Connell and my now good friend a college the formidable Matthew Duckett. Mathew is a phenomenal Disabled Actor and he is the first Disabled actor to play Lord Chatterley on film it was a pleasure to work closely with him to help shape his performance, as well as making sure set was accessible to him and all his access requirements were met. If you want to read more about my work on the movie you can read about it in this Variety article. You can also see the trailer for Lady Chatterley’s Lover below and of course I recommend watching it on Netflix right now! https://youtu.be/ZOkXE3B0pDA?si=VKv7JLBOZ6TCyGeC
Really excited to say that I have spent a fair bit of time in Coventry at the Belgrade Theatre recently as they kindly gave the team behind A Different Kind of Attention some time, space and funding as part of their autumn takeover to help us develop the piece further and as you can see from this pic from Nicola Young Photography we rocked out. This piece is ever changing and developing and the team are proud of what we have achieved but we are also wanting to carry on the legacy of this amazing piece so watch this space!!
A Different Kind of Attention Rocks into futher Development Read More »
Last night I attended the first ever Scope Awards. Lead by the leading UK pan Disability Charity Scope. I have worked with scope for a number of years across various projects and they invited me to both Jude in two categories and also present the life time achievement award which was a huge honour and Baroness Jane Campbell was a worthy winner.
Judging and Presenting at the Inaugural Scope Awards Read More »
Not really your standard news post but I just wanted to take some time to acknowledge one of the biggest perforce of my career that happened 10 years ago. I was an aerial circus performer in the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games in London 2012 it was a job with a team and atmosphere and work like on other. As I sit here and type this I know that 10 years changes a lot, my career has gone in directions I never thought it would and is still ever changing. I have been part of some amazing things and I hope to keep being. I also know that everyone on the picture you see to the left have gone on their pwn journeys, are doing some amazing things, and some sadly are no longer with us. So I just want to leave this post here as a celebration, as a memory and with a grateful heart.
In what is a very proud moment for me. I have officially been elected to Equity Council, Equity is the Trade Union for Actors, Stage Managers, Dancers, Directors, Singers, Stunt people, Pro Wrestlers, Variety Artist Comedians and probably a few I have missed. It is an honour to help represent all the amazing people that our union represents and help with the day to day governance of the union and its massively important work. Having previously been on the screen and new media committee and before that and currently the Deaf and Disabled Members Committee. It’s a privilege to actually sit at the top table of the union and help promote Equality work but also make sure everyone feels represented. While still doing important work to protect those rights. To all artists good work, to all workers good art, to all people Equity
Really grateful, to have participated in another successful year at Glastonbury with Natural Diversions and the Natural Theatre Company. Once again we took the magic of our outlandish characters and world leading street performances lead by disabled performers to the globally recognised Theatre and Circus Fields of the one and only Glastonbury Festival. As always the crowds were amazing and fun was had by all …and there was some pretty ok music too! the picture you see is me as a Radiohead one of my favourite pieces to do amazing in its simplicity but always a head turner for the crowds. Here’s hoping I head batch to the fields of Glasto some time soon!
Had an amazing week at Sheffield theatres as part of the ramps on the moon project performing two new pieces of writing in a rehearsed reading. The first being named 2084 a post apocalyptic story of survival, differences and friendship. The second which is pictured being A Different Kind of Attention a story of a Rock and Roll star and a journey of life changing self discovery it was amazing to work on both of these pieces and hope they move forward because they are really fun bits of writing with lots of potential so keep you eyes peeled!
It’s been busy times but I just wanted to add news of another project I have been a part of this time performing in a short film titled Steve Parker written and directed by Benedict Robinson. Here’s a little behind the scenes pic to wet your appetite more news to follow!
