This Monday! How to Build a DJ, a dynamic new radio drama by Michael Southan.
Bereaved & in his final year at college, can Ben truly be who he wants?
There will be an animated transcript available on broadcast to increase access.
📅 13th Nov
⏲️ 14:15
📅
@BBCRadio4
Burn out is happening across the arts. Many people I talk to from smaller orgs are tired. It’s been a roller coaster 18 months. Let’s support one another. We need one another xx
ANNOUNCING... our joint CEO and Artistic Director!
We're delighted to share that Nickie Miles-Wildin and Grace Ng have been appointed to bring their vision and combined experience to DaDaFest!
Read more and stay tuned for a new chapter in our history>>
At an event that supports British theatre but no wheelchair access on the red carpet, no BSL or captioning available& I’ve yet to see anyone offering audio description. No obvious wheelchair access to the stage - our access host didn’t know how we’d get on stage
#whatsonstage
I always love it when a non disabled person tells me that I’m wrong when I’m describing barriers I face in the theatre industry or even the world. Today I responded with ‘Excuse me, I am the one with the lived experience here & am so utterly bored of your excuses.’
Today is the day. 14 people aged 16-21, who had never met one another 2 weeks ago, are performing a piece about the right to protest around
@NationalTheatre
They are amazing, beautiful people who have inspired me. In just 5 days they've made a Poetic, creative, authentic &
Really bored of non disabled/ pre disabled people telling me what access is & how much it costs. Really bored. Really bored. Really bored.I'll tell you what it costs...my mental health. Living in a world where I constantly have to navigate physical & attitudinal barriers.
The world has gotten a lot darker today
@dtoole764
- my Kev, my 2012
Partner in crime. Flying towards you in the stadium will always hold a place in my heart. Eat crumpets, drink prosecco wherever you are. Love you xxxx
Kerbs from
@graeae
and
@BelgradeTheatre
gets real about romance, sex and disability, while tackling the universal challenge faced by anyone experiencing a new relationship: letting someone in.
When - Till 06 May
Where - Online
Cost - £7.99
Thank you
@graeae
for a wonderful 2.5years as Associate Director/Head of new writing. An amazing time, wonderful work created. Will miss you all. Thank you to Josh for being the dept’s other half. It’s been a joy! Xx Now to
@DaDaFest
& freelance. Here we go *rolls up sleeves*
I am SO bored of non disabled people telling disabled people that our views on how we are treated are wrong. This is non disabled privilege right there. Check your fragility about the issue & deconstruct where those thoughts come from...learnt behaviour. Maybe listen to lived
I took some time away for my mental health. It's been a hard 6months due to the repercussions of severe ableism & it made me go into self destruct comparison mode. But with therapy I am back & feeling more like me. It's exciting & I'm open to artistic chats.
Here. We. Go!
Is anyone else feeling a lack of confidence getting back to in real life work? I’m struggling with memory, energy, my head is fall of self doubt. It’s like I’ve forgotten everything I’ve learnt over the last 15 years. Last year I went into survival mode - making work on line,
Been feeling a bit lost lately. Who am I? Where do I fit? Then a chat with a dear mate y'day & today I am seeing it all with a new perspective. There is nothing wrong with being an outsider. Outsiders are the ones who make change. Bring. It. On! Thank you dear friend xx
Behind every non disabled led organisation or production making creatively accessible work there is also a team of disabled, Deaf & neurodivergent creatives & consultants that enable this to happen. Let's celebrate them for making theatre more accessible.
INTRODUCING OUR NEW ASSOCIATE ARTIST
@knockback78
! Nickie is a theatre & radio director. She was previously Joint Artistic Director and CEO of DaDa, Associate Director at Graeae Theatre Company where she was Head of New Writing. For full bio head to:
Been struggling the past 8 months with mental health due to trauma experienced in a job role. Slowly working it through: Therapy, morning pages & trying to find space for my own well-being. It's tough. I think I'm doing okay but this weekend has been tough. Slow wheels/steps
Sometimes I want to hibernate. I want to shout Arrgghhhhh! I want the pre-covid me back. She’s disappeared & I’m struggling to find her beneath the anxiety, the brain fry, the fear. She used to laugh lots, she now finds that hard.
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
We're over the moon to announce
@knockback78
as our director for this years RIFT Festival. Nickie is Resident Assistant Director at The Royal Exchange in Manchester and co-founder of Twocan Theatre Company.
I’ve made a play that I’m uber proud of. Worked with the writer to get his first play staged. It brings me so much joy to know this story is playing to audiences. When we had an impromptu round of applause at one point last night I shed a tear.
#Kerbs
@BelgradeTheatre
@graeae
Here we go...my final day as
@RTYDS
Resident Assistant Director
@rxtheatre
Feeling excited as it’s the Breaking Free festival with 8 schools performing in the module. Bit sad as it’s a theatre I love. Going to miss being part of it every day xx
I haven't chatted about this on here because each time I think about it I relive all the years of trauma caused by ableism in the world, in the industry. It makes me sad, tired & I'm loosing my trust in people.
I’m immunosuppressed & after 2 years I’ve been back in rehearsal rooms where we wear masks around the building, take lateral flows, limit people in the rm & that makes me feel safer. Not sure how I will feel without all these measures. Anxiety starting to kick in.
My life would be dull without all the marvellous disabled artists I work with & your life would be duller without me as a director/maker.
#disabilityoptin
Proud of my sister who is a key worker
@Tesco
She’s worked there for 5 years. She’s got Co-vid from being on the front line & quarantined herself & 2kids. Single mum. Let’s respect key workers all the time. Not just in a pandemic.
A bit emotional here in the front room
@rxtheatre
after my last young company session on my
@RTYDS
placement. This room holds sooo many happy creative memories, the important voices are given space to evolve. I feel so proud of all those young people I’ve worked with. Thank you
8 years ago I felt proud to be with my disabled friends and colleagues opening the Paralympics London 2012. A night of celebrations. I’ll never forget it & will continue to fight for equal rights across the world
#disabled
#proud
#paralympics2012
This makes my heart happy!! You may remember my post about Angela working with her local council to have an accessible swing put in so that children with a disability like her Nephew Will could enjoy the park with their friends.
@MDUK_News
I think this video says it all! ♥️♥️
So if we had won a microphone would have been brought down to me in the audience. Um...I would have liked to have ascended the stage
@WhatsOnStage
This ain’t good enough
@TheStage
#2019
@actforchangehq
My confidence has been proper low. So the little wins are meaning a lot. Like making it to the last 4 for a leadership role of a theatre organisation. That's perked me right up. (Though my brain automatically picks holes in that but I'm working on that)
#boost
#theatre
As I'm returning to full time freelance I'd love to be in touch with producers who identify as disabled, Deaf or neurodivergent for some exciting projects I'm planning. I will do my best to respond to everyone. Ty xx
Disabled, Deaf and neurodivergent artists based in the North West. How you all doing? Who would like a group cuppa on zoom to just chat. No agenda. No work focus. It’s a space to just be.
Grief. Fekkin’ grief. I wake & I feel the emptiness. My heart feels...less joyful. Flat. The tears come. I want to stay in bed, eyes shut, you’re still here, remembering our chats, the laughter. But I can’t. I have to drag myself from bed & present a smile. It’s hard.
#bekind
What a surprise! Me doing my directing thing for Tommy. A joy to share the screen with many Deaf & disabled actors. Brilliant words
@BethHintonLever
@_A4C_
As a person classed as high risk due to being on immunosuppressant medication I urge people to STOP mixing in groups, STOP taking over supermarkets, STOP putting people at risk, DO take note of what
@NHSuk
are saying. You may survive the virus, we may not.
Ace first day in rehearsals for
@graeae
Kerbs! A joy to be back
@BelgradeTheatre
All Mondays need to be like this. Helped by my new top curtesy of a beautiful colleague xx
We recreated our engagement from last year watching
@kylieminogue
on Pyramid Hill. Loved watching her! Surrounded by friends & strangers who all cheered. Such a magic time!
@glastonbury
#Glastonbury2020
The last decade began as an actor, flew through the Olympic Stadium in front of a worldwide audience of half a billion,had both knees re replaced, been camping, been to Oz, been to Glasto, lost dear friends, moved to Manchester, got engaged, am now a theatre director.
#wow
A dance, a cry, a beer, chips & a candle. Remembering you Kev
@dtoole764
We watched Paralympics rehearsal - that day the Spice Girls were next door. Xxx
#flywithdave
Disabled artists have said they feel "a great deal of anxiety" about being excluded when theatres reopen, as many may have to continue shielding until there is a Covid-19 vaccine
1/5 Tonight I proper cried. Not cried for a while. Like proper ‘it hurts’ cry. It started due to pain but then it all came out. A feeling of anger, frustration. For those moments heads tilt & they say ‘here’s trouble’ or ‘here comes cheeky’ or the tut as I navigate my chair on
I’ve been feeling past it recently. I don’t stand a chance to make it as a director. Lack of wheelchair access to theatres has been a part of that so now when I’m making work I feel like I’m left behind, too old, not exciting. This makes me believe I have a place
@lyngardner
Two thirds of people who have sadly died due to Co-vid 19 have been disabled.That’s 22,000 people.Please understand if I’m not rushing to get back out there.I’m shielding for a long time as I do not trust this government.
#herdimmunity
#shielding
#cannonfodder
@JustinTomlinson
Just over a year ago a script landed in my inbox. I thought ‘I must meet this writer.’ Last March we met. Pandemic struck & we’ve worked lots online since then. Tonight
@AdamPFenton
won
#FutureTheatreAwards
for acting nominated by
@graeae
This is why I love my job xx
Got to stay in. So those of you that are allowed out please do NOT fuck it up for those of us who still have to shield til end of June at least. Go steady!
Growing up in Gloucestershire I was constantly told youth theatres weren’t accessible to me. 20 years later I set one up. Integrated youth theatre
@Twocaninclusive
with over 20 members.
#WeShallNotBeRemoved
📣 Calling 16-21-year-olds 📣
Join us this summer for Fly the Flag to explore human rights and performance.
Working with director
@knockback78
, you'll use devising, ensemble and creative access techniques to create a performance.
It's free to join 👉
Hey there theatre, TV & film world - I don't want to be cured of my impairment. What I want is for the world to stop disabling me with physical and attitudinal barriers. That's what makes me angry. Please sort out storylines & representation from here on in. I'm bored of pity.
Here we go... press night. 3.5 years ago
over egg & chips in Mel's cafe in Hackney
@JoeWhiteWrites_
asked me to come on board as dramaturg. We chatted concept of 2 actors playing Henry, social model & disabled joy. And here we are. Amazing team & cast. Proud.
Directed by Nickie Miles-Wildin (
@knockback78
), Charlene James' CUTTIN' IT follows teenagers Muna and Iqra who soon realise their families share a painful secret.
A devastating play about the price some girls pay to become a woman.
>>
If you do not have the time or money to invest in finding the right people to tell the story then please do NOT tell the story. It’s NOT yours!
@ComeAsYouAreUK
We’re ecstatic that our very own Amy Trigg has taken home the award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical at this year’s
@OlivierAwards
. ✨
#TheLittleBigThings
Being a disabled woman working as a theatre director is hard - I can’t get into half the theatres to see productions or into many pub theatres for a fringe theatre platform to try out work. Will I always be seen as emerging/trainee/put in a box of ‘not so good?’
Life has been tough lately for number of reasons & now battling a cough & cold symptons (waiting on PCR) A chat with a mate has made me believe in myself again. Reach out & chat. People are there to support.
Grief, it’s an odd thing. Catches you out. You think you’re doing okay then... you’re not. You smile at a memory. Go there in your head. Remember the joy. Think I’ll text them to share that moment. Then remember...they aren’t there. Empty.
Guilt. Winded.
As the UK heads for shit & I’m quite scared for the future today marks 7 years since the country got behind disabled people & it felt amazing! If only that could be every day! We’ll keep protesting & fight for our rights.
#poc2012
#london2012
‘We worry we will be forgotten’: the shutting of Britain's theatres is a threat to disabled people. A reminder that we are here. Written by myself & the brilliant
@jackthorne
Getting ready for first dress rehearsal of Kerbs. I’m excited, nervous & full of joy. Can’t wait for an audience to experience it.
@BelgradeTheatre
@graeae