Shout Grow Mend: Stories of Disability
What happens in the past doesn’t stay there, it sends ripples throughout the years that follow and if unaddressed can grow into irrepressible waves that come crashing down on us. Or put simply, history risks repeating itself. No clearer example is there than when we look back at the treatment and exclusion of disabled people throughout history, and ask ourselves ‘how far have we really come?’ Only by unpacking the archives, understanding what history has to teach us and applying that to our contemporary society can we find the answer to this.
Following the success of Explore York’s recent showcase of Shush, Snip, Rip, which explored the histories of disabled people inspired by the city’s archive collections, the exhibition returned with a new performance-based curation devised by a team of NDB1 deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists.
Starting with an induction to the exhibition by Stephen Lee Hodgkins, the creative team explored how far have we really come in the treatment and exclusion of disabled people. This resulted in a satirical performance that interweaved farce with autobiography and invited the audience to share their own stories of disability through a Playback Theatre Performance.
‘I have never been at an event like this before. I hope there will be more. Moving, touching human performances, and a profoundly welcoming space. I’m so glad I came. Keep doing what you’re doing!’
