DDFI Extra, our winter spin off festival, began at the start of disability history month and we have packed in so much already.
Rushton Residencies and Workshops
Our brand new Rushton Residencies programme delivered in partnership through DaDa (Liverpool UK) and Potters Gallery, (Abuja, Nigeria) is supporting artists from the UK, and Sub-Saharan Africa to create new work. The artists are exploring social justice and inclusion through the lens of disability across cultures and continents, and we look forward to sharing their work with you in the New Year.
Our DaDa Rushton Residents Natalie Denny and Lilian Munuo joined us on the International Day of Disabled People for an Instagram takeover to tell us more about their work.
You can look back at their takeover here.
Natalie, a published author, has also been offering creative writing sessions for disabled writers.
There are three sessions left you can join in with:
- 13/01/2026 1-3pm in person at Everyman Theatre Liverpool
- 27/01/2026 1-3pm in person at Everyman Theatre Liverpool
- 20/01/2026 6-8pm online via zoom
More details and booking info here.
Exploring DaDaFest – international Event
Our friends at SESC Sao Paulo, Brazil invited DaDa and guests to share their experiences of creating disability arts festivals for an international online event on 5th December.
Contributors included Rachel Rogers (Executive Producer of DaDafest Festival - United Kingdom), Paula Sousa Lopez (Brazil) and Péricles Silveira (Cultura Inglesa Festival - Brazil).
We were delighted to share reflections on our 40th anniversary festival along with insights on working to the social model of disability, and embedding access into artistic practice.
More about this event here.
Hand Ships Sail BTS Film Premiere
Another highlight of DDFI Extra has been the premiere of a behind the scenes film documenting Cathy Mager’s projection ‘Hand Ships Sail’ coming to Liverpool on International Women’s Day.
The short film which is currently available via DaDa’s youtube channel follows Cathy and her team setting up the projection which was shown on the Cunard Buildings as part of DDFI40 earlier this year.
Click here for links to watch the film and access the transcript.
Power not Pity Edinburgh Podcast
Our team have released a special Disability History Month episode of the Power not Pity Podcast. Access and Support Coordinator at DaDa, Denise Kennedy, heads to Edinburgh Fringe and shares interviews with disabled artists and those looking to embed access in their shows along with the wider festival.
Listening links and transcripts for the podcast are here.
Still to come this winter…
In the new year we still have more of our winter programme to come including our Rushton Residents sharing their new work, a newly commissioned poem by the brilliant Jennifer Lee Tsai and artist Andrew Bolton will be sharing an online presentation of community engagement and visibility for disabled and refugee artists. Watch this space for more on all of this.