More
about
Vis-a-Visibility
is a powerful, uplifting and humorous piece of theatre which takes a
well-needed but also irreverent look at issues that arise for people
who identify as being both LGBT and Disabled. Funded by Arts Council
England and the Platinum Trust, the production is a joint creation of
Artemis Theatre
Company and the national LGBT Disabled People's Organisation, Regard.
As
many as one in three LGBT people are disabled, due to the physical and
mental impact of homophobia as well as HIV. However, our community is
largely invisible, and this is the first time that any production has
been produced about the lived experiences of LGBT disabled people.
In
order to create the show, writer and director Clare
Summerskill led five Sunday afternoon drama workshops for 15 LGBT
disabled people over March/April 2012 at Vicarage Lane Community Centre
in Stratford. These combined drama exercises with discussions and improvisations
about the lives of LGBT disabled people. Participants came from a range
of impairment and access groups, including people with physical and
sensory impairments, mental health difficulties and long-term health
conditions, and their ages ranged from the late teens to the late 60s.
The
final script has been written and compiled by Clare Summerskill and
members of the company, and the show is performed by the participants
themselves. Click here to find
out more about the cast and crew, and click
here to view rehearsal photographs from People Show Studios.
In
2013, we hope to release a film version of Vis-a-Visibility. As a result
of increasing the visibility of our community and familiarity with the
issues facing us, as well as providing much-needed resources, this will
also help to improve service provision for LGBT disabled people and
achieve greater inclusion for us in the LGBT and disabled communities.
Return
to Vis-a-Visibility Home Page
![Colour photograph of two wheelchair users, a man and a woman, improvising a scene](robinjo.jpg) |
![Colour photograph of two women standing together as they improvise a scene](kirmarg.jpg)
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![Colour photograph of two women, one sitting and one standing, improvising a scene](etpaul.jpg) |
Workshop
photographs from Vicarage Lane Community Centre: Julie Newman
![Supported using public funding by Arts Council England. Lottery funded.](lottery__black.jpg)
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