Welcome to the Making History Together! 2020 Disability History Month Festival, brought to you with the generous support of Arts Council England, the National Lottery Community Fund and the London Emergency Fund. The Festival is now complete for you to enjoy online, with exhibitions to explore, performances and films to watch, and activities including family activities.
FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
Opening night tributes to artists we have lost this year included digital and physical Muertos Ofrendas in the tradition of the Mexican Day of the Dead Festival. Callaloo Arts have created a range of inclusive, no-cost resources to enable you to make a Muertos Ofrenda at home in memory of those you have lost.
- Ally Z The Starving Artist
- Justin Edgar Reasonable Adjustment
- Shadowlight Artists Luminous
- Together! 2020 Open Exhibition
WELCOME TO OUR FAMILY ACTIVITIES
Julia Collar & Mainspring Arts: Strings and Things. A suite of six sensory stories and original songs highly relevant to experiences of shielding and lockdown, and explore contrasting concepts such as ‘near and far’ and ‘caged and free’, using the simplest of materials found at home such as string. FAMILY ACTIVITY
Making Fingers and Paper Scruffy Puppets with Hazel Brill. Create a variety of paper finger puppets at home encouraging experimentation and playfulness, from simple puppets to more unusual designs. FAMILY ACTIVITY.
Sahera Khan: The Cockerel and the Fox. Actor, poet and TV presenter Sahera Khan presents her new performance The Cockerel and the Fox from home, and answers questions about her work and career. In BSL with English interpretation, the show also includes the opportunity to learn some Animal Signs. Recorded on 28 November. FAMILY ACTIVITY
WELCOME TO OUR PERFORMANCES
The History Makers: Together! 2020 Festival Opening View the opening night event which took place on 12 November at 7pm, including home-based performances by Baluji Shrivastav OBE, Act Up! Newham, Jo-anne Cox and Sign Dance Collective International, and read the speeches.
Live Art Enjoy home-based performances from Gobscure: Hyena in Petticoats (this event page also includes activities to join in with from home) and Rebecca Redican: Delay Six. Recorded on 19 November.
Act Up! Newham with Los Inseparables in Chile: I am Toni…Who am I? Explore this multimedia presentation of an international online collaboration, premiered on 24 November.
Return of the Together! 2012 Pop-Up Poetry Café Spend an hour at the Together! 2012 Pop-Up Poetry Café with poets from Survivors’ Poetry and the Together! Pop-Up Poetry Club performing from their own homes. Bring your own food and drink! Recorded on 26 November.
For World AIDS Day on 1 December we presented Damian Darkness’s Sex & Disability (film) + Vince Laws: A Very Queer Nazi Faust (podcast), with a live introduction by the playwrights in conversation with Festival Director Dr Ju Gosling. These plays were unable to tour in 2020, so instead we bring you the live recordings from their 2019 premieres.
Walk With Me Join Jessica Starns as she accompanies shielders on virtual walks to Newham, the US, Chile and New Zealand. Jessica advertised for companions on Together Unlocked! on 11 November, and facilitated the walks with research and screen-sharing before launching them on Unlocked on 2 December.
Indus: The Sound of the Story. Whether it’s on film or live, the visuals are only half the story, and the sound is vital for people who are blind or visually impaired. In this practical session, Ruth Mariner and Gestalt Arts present their ongoing work with opera, and explores how live ‘foley’ sound effects and audio-description can heighten the experience for everyone.
End of Festival Party: Our annual ‘Open Mic’ music, performance and poetry event, including a celebration of the Together! 2020 Poetry Anthology and a special performance by Penny Pepper.
WELCOME TO OUR FILM FESTIVAL
Together! 2020 Disability Film Festival View recordings of the live events and watch many of the films again via the programme.
Discover our year-round Join In From Home programme of accessible inclusive creative activities based on things you already have at home.