A disabled performance poet and theatre maker has been chosen to benefit from ARC’s disabled artist residency.
The disabled residency opportunity has been made possible by Cultural Shift, a funded programme of arts activity based at ARC for disabled people.
The residency offers a unique and valuable opportunity for disabled theatre makers to have a dedicated and stimulating space to work, write and rehearse a brand new piece of theatre.
Rowan James will be spending time at the Stockton venue from Monday 15 August to develop some ideas for a brand new play, which will incorporate a mix of poetry and physical performance. It will also explore how poetry, sign language and dance can all come together to form something incredible.
As the lead artist on the project, Rowan will be working with a team performers who specialise in creating theatre for disabled people, and their own experiences will help shape the performance.
Rowan said: “The piece of work I would like to produce is an innovative piece of physical theatre aimed at unifying the language around Disability. I’ll be collaborating as a spoken word artist with a deaf MC, a wheelchair dancer and an as-yet-unknown fourth physical performer. The piece will deliver a unifying message about the language of Disability and the effects of being labelled disabled or deaf, incorporating each performer’s own history and experience.
“Audiences should expect an inclusive and absorbing production full of energy and passion, cleverly delivering an important message about the nature of society and humanity’s perception of ‘the other’.”
Last year, Rowan’s show, Easy for You to Say, formed part of the Integrated Fringe (IF) Platform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.