HAND IN HAND? WRITING AND PERFORMANCE-MAKING IN LEARNING DISABILITY THEATRE

A symposium hosted by University of Essex Literature Film and Theatre Studies (LiFTs) Department and Lakeside Theatre, supported by the Consortium for the Humanities and the Arts South East England (CHASE).

Date: Thursday 5th July from 10.30am – 5pm.
Venue: University of Essex Colchester Campus, Wivenhoe.
Tickets (including lunch): £25 waged, £15 concessions.
University of Essex LiFTs students and CHASE scholars go free but must please email [email protected] to register.

To purchase tickets follow this link: https://www1.essex.ac.uk/online_shop/conference/default.aspx?conference=hand-in-hand-writing-and-performancemaking-in-learning-disability-theatre.

This symposium seeks to explore the position of non-learning-disabled playwrights and directors working for, with, and alongside practitioners and participants with learning disabilities, as well as raising awareness of emerging projects led by learning disabled writers and directors. It will be relevant to self-advocates, allies, academics, playwrights, directors, students and all those involved or interested in learning disability theatre. This includes professional level companies, community based companies and those operating somewhere in between. We hope to provide a friendly one day forum and networking opportunity for this exciting and burgeoning sector.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS 

Vanessa Brooks

Vanessa is a many times published and much produced playwright, theatre director and producer of the Separate Doors project. Artistic Director of national touring company Dark Horse for seven years she created the Silent Approach, a rehearsal method allowing learning disabled and non-learning disabled actors to work with equality in mainstream theatre.

Mind the Gap

Mind the Gap is one of Europe’s leading learning disability theatre companies, working in partnership with learning-disabled artists to deliver a bold, cutting-edge and world-class artistic programme that impacts locally, nationally and internationally. Representative Artists from Mind the Gap Theatre Company will give their perspective as learning disabled theatre makers.

PERFORMANCE OF TRISOMY 21 AND PANEL DISCUSSION

Trisomy 21 written by Judith Johnson with Razed Roof theatre company. Trisomy 21 looks at issues relating to Down’s Syndrome, particularly in reaction to the new non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT), a blood test which can detect the possible presence of Down’s and three other syndromes in early pregnancy, introduced into the NHS in 2018. Razed Roof members were consulted about their reactions to the test as part of a Mencap consultation for the Nuffield Council on Bioethics report.

Trisomy 21 was written as part of Judith Johnson’s PhD studies at University of Essex LiFTs department and is informed by the personal stories and research done by company members and interviews with parents of children and adults with Down’s Syndrome. The Panel Discussion will include Judith Johnson, Vanessa Brooks, Mind the Gap Artists and members of Razed Roof.

Razed Roof

Razed Roof is an inclusive performing arts company made up of adults with a range of learning difficulties and disabilities; elders; and young people from mainstream education. We provide theatre skills training and opportunities for performing publicly.  Our scripts are by established playwrights, adapted so that words, music and dance allow full participation from each individual.

Judith Johnson

Judith has been writing for the stage, radio and screen and teaching/lecturing for nearly 30 years. She has taught and been produced in diverse venues, from the National Theatre to young offenders’ institutions. She has been working with Razed Roof for over ten years and has written three scripts with and for the company.

Please email Judith if you have any queries at [email protected]