DaDa is proud to announce the launch of DDFI Extra, a new winter arts programme running throughout Disability History Month 2025 and into the New Year.
Continuing the organisation’s 40th birthday celebrations and building on the success of the UK’s longest-running disability arts festival, DaDaFest International, DDFI Extra will bring together artist development, creativity, and accessible participation for an international programme.
Developed in partnership with Potters Gallery in Nigeria, DDFI Extra will feature a multidisciplinary programme of events and artist residencies, connecting artists and audiences in the UK, Nigeria, Tanzania, supported by British Council Culture Connects Programme.
#DDFIExtra Programme
Rushton Residency UK
The Rushton Residency will form a central part of DDFI Extra, supporting Deaf Liverpool author Natalie Denny to explore themes of disability history and culture, reflecting on the legacy of disabled poet and social justice activist Edward Rushton to create new work.
Throughout Natalie’s UK-based residency, writers' workshops will be offered free to disabled writers both in person at Everyman Theatre Liverpool, and online. These will run throughout Disability History Month and into the new year.
Lillian Munuo of ‘Beyond The Label’, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, will also be supported byDaDa through a Rushton Residency, connecting Lillian with Natalie and artists from Nigeria to exchange ideas and experience.
Lillian Munuo is a multidisciplinary visual artist, disability rights advocate. Lillian’s residency will focus on storytelling through mixed media and bring the lived experiences of Tanzanians with disabilities into this global conversation on social justice through art.
Lillian and Natalie’s work will be available via our online gallery along with our Nigerian artists towards the end of their residency.
Rushton Residencies Nigeria
Further international residencies will form part of the programme, developed in partnership between DaDa (Liverpool UK) and Potters Gallery, (Abuja, Nigeria). These international residencies will support artists from Sub-Saharan Africa to create new work, alongside the UK’s Rushton Residency.
Art forms will include: Dance, Spoken Word, Documentary Film, Creative and Critical writing and mixed media visual arts and storytelling.
The residencies will explore how social justice creates social inclusion and how access benefits not only for disabled people, but the wider cultural sector in all three countries.
The work created will be shared via an online gallery which can be accessed internationally through DaDa’s website during the programme.
Film Premiere ‘Hand Ships Sail’, Behind the Scenes
‘Hand Ships Sail’ is a poetic conversation in British Sign Language (BSL) – the vital, visual and versatile language of British deaf communities. Two deaf women share their dreams for the future as they look out over the night sky.
The work was created by Cathy Mager, a Deaf and Bristol-based artist and curator, founder and director of Spectroscope, specialising in immersive and monumental art installations.‘Hand Ships Sail’ helped launch DaDaFest International 40 earlier this year with a special projection on the Cunard Buildings in Liverpool, and the film of this presentation will be shared online during DDFIExtra.
Look out for this on DaDa’s Youtube channel during disability history month.
Andrew Bolton Street Art Lecture Online
Andrew Bolton (Community Murals CIC) is a disabled professional artist with many years' experience of working alongside communities to create painted, mosaic, or printed murals.Bolton also has a personal art practice which often refers to his lived experience of disability.
He is an active member of Disability Arts Cymru and has been developing an artistic relationship with Jogja Disability Arts, Indonesia.
An online presentation of community engagement and visibility for disabled and refugee artists by Andrew will be available during DDFIExtra.
This lecture will be available online early 2026.
New Poetry Shared by Jennifer Lee Tsai
Award winning poet Jennifer Lee Tsai, has been commissioned to create new work as part of DDFIExtra. This poem will be captured on film and presented online spring 2026 and will set the tone for DDFI2027.
SESC Event Featuring DaDa
DaDa has been invited by SESC Sao Paulo to take part in an online discussion event as part of the Year of the United Kingdom in Brazil, in partnership with the British Council and the Guimarães Rosa Institute, promoting new artistic connections and collaborations between Brazil and the United Kingdom through activities that connect their cultures. Happening on 5th December, the event will be ‘A experiência do Festival DaDafest para gestores culturais’ (The DaDafest Festival experience for cultural managers).
More on this here.
DDFI Extra is supported by British Council funding, helping to deepen international artistic exchange, and by Arts Council England, through DaDa’s status as a National Portfolio Organisation and Liverpool City Council through their Cultural Arts Investment Programme.