Thanks

Colour photograph of Ju wearing a red trilby hat and her assistance dog Jazz wearing an elf cap.17 DECEMBER 2015
JU GOSLING AKA ju90 WRITES: 
All that remains is to express my grateful thanks to the following people and organisations, who came together to ensure that the 2015 Together! Disability History Month Festival was the best yet:

Our guest artists Penny Pepper, Signdance Collective International, Natural Diversions, Jo-anne Cox, Walton McLaren and Sean Burn, and their associated cast and crews.

All of the locally based disabled artists who exhibited work in our annual Open Exhibition; attended workshops; or performed on International Day of Disabled People, especially the members of Act Up! Newham, Starpad DJs, Powerhouse, Rosetta Art Centre, Art Recovery Group and the Together! Art Club.

All of the filmmakers – local, national and international – who contributed to the Together! Disability Film Festival, agreeing to screen their films for free and often appearing to introduce them in person; and Richard Rieser, Eleanor Lisney, Michael Achtman and Caglar Kimyoncu for leading our Let’s Talk Disability Film events.

Our funders Arts Council England, with London Borough of Newham, Trinity Buoy Wharf, Countryside Properties and Davenport Venues and Events Management.

Our core team Sarah Hughes, Alison Marchant, Julie Newman, Cliff Segree, Kerry Ball, Laura Horton, Rachel Sheridan, Tae Catford, Blake Jarrett-Gibbons, Hamish Graham and Angus McKenzie-Davie, together with BSL interpreters Jason Smith and Michele Winstanley and assistance dogs Jazz and Precious.

Our venues The Hub, Old Town Hall Stratford, River Centre, St Luke’s Community Centre and St Mark’s Community Centre, and all of the staff who worked so hard to support us there including Ian from The Small PA Company.

Our caterers McGrath Makers, who provided the buffet for the opening and closing parties and the Music Club; and Gerry’s Kitchen, who offered a 20% discount for festival-goers before and after events and also hosted our ‘Let’s Talk Disability Film’ events.

Stratford Town Centre, including Stratford Original, Theatre Royal Stratford East and Stratford Circus for their support, particularly with the Street Art performance on 3 December and with local marketing.

Our suppliers, who ensured we had what we needed when we needed it.

Everyone who helped to spread the word about the Festival; and most of all, you the audience. See you next year!

UK Disability History Month: Celebrating our lives; challenging disablism; achieving equaliy

Arts Council England, with further support fromTrinity Buoy Wharf, Countryside Properties, Davenport Venue and Events Management and London Borough of Newham.