Event type: Other

Join the team in this new opportunity for deaf and hard of hearing visitors to join a tour of their wonderful transport collections, led by a deaf guide.

For the tour on 19 April only the British Sign Language guide will be interpreted so that hearing visitors can accompany their deaf or hard of hearing friends and family on the tour.

The tour is free but places are limited so please book your ticket early.

This work began as part of the DaDa Fellows scheme in 2021 to allow disabled and neurodivergent artists time and space to try new artforms and develop their craft, co-commissioned by DaDa and New Earth Theatre.

Koishii is Japanese for “I miss” referring to a person/place/thing that it’s impossible (at least currently) to reunite with. The word itself has an almost dramatic and slightly older tone, but is also used with tongue in cheek self-awareness, an equivalent to the word “yearn”.

The experience allows you to move a character to get a key, which lets you unlock a portal to the next day in your life. In order to get the key you have to navigate pools of lava, poison gas that slows you down, and the fact that your controls will change at random to make movement more uncomfortable. All the while Chris’ narration about their experience of chronic illness play in the background.

About Koishii from Chris Shapiro

For this piece, Chris uses gamification within their art to explore their experiences of disability and neurodivergence.

There’s a sense of masking and chronic illness/neurodiversity and how it’s kind of detrimental to us, in the sense of covering how bad we’re actually doing and then depleting a lot of energy to do so, especially in relation to things like benefits and PIP interviews and with doctors who might disbelieve how bad we’re doing because we mask as a reflex,

The game includes elements of the unpredictability and intensity of a random flare up, what brain fog is like, the exhaustion and overwhelming nature. You’re not sure if these are connected or unrelated, and having no way of finding out other than waiting to see if a link arises.

Chris used the design of the sea because it’s an environment that makes you feel small and aware that you’re at its mercy. This is to recreate that sense of how with both chronic illness and neurodiversity you’re really aware of how things you have no control over can change everything in a moment, and you sort of dread that or have it in the back of your mind constantly, because you have to adapt if something happens.

Chris thought it would be fun if sometimes you don’t get to choose where you go, and with the sea that’s a possibility to play with in a vague way that doesn’t have to be location specific and can be slightly randomised, echoing chronic illness/neurodiversity where there isn’t necessarily a manual, just a warning that sometimes there will be consequences, figure out what they’re from.

About DDFI40:

DaDaFest International returns 8th-31st March 2025 to celebrate DaDa’s 40th Anniversary and this time they are coming with ‘RAGE: A Quiet Riot’.

DDFI40 will showcase work by disabled artists that captures all shapes and sides of rage. From the internal quiet frustrations and righteous rage, to overt injustice and activism, DDFI40 will explore disability rights, disability arts, access, ableism and ‘Rage’ in an explosion of creativity.

Arts Council England is offering 1:1 in-person advice sessions for Deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent creatives and organisations based in Merseyside on Sunday 23rd March from 10am to 4pm at the Bluecoat Arts Centre

You’ll have the chance to discuss an idea for funding with an Arts Council England Relationship Manager and receive bespoke advice and guidance from them. Limited advice sessions are available and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, lasting up to 30 minutes. Please note, these sessions are suitable for those who already have a National Lottery Project Grants idea in mind and have attended an introductory webinar (book here). They can also talk about Developing Your Creative Practice for personal development activities in supported disciplines, for example undertaking a period of research.

If you are Deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent, ACE can help at different stages of your grant – see Access Support

There are a range of other resources on the Arts Council England website to help you with your application plans and it’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with our guidance ahead of your advice session.

To book your 30 minute advice session with either Jo Wood or Desi Cherington, please select the relevent ticket for the time slot you would like.

Bookings will be on a first come first served basis. If bookings are full, you will have the opportunity to join a waiting list by emailing info@dadafest.co.uk

About DaDa :

DaDa is an award winning and pioneering disability arts organisation based in Liverpool with international reach and impact. Founded in 1984, we were one of the first disability-led arts organisations in the UK and an integral part of the campaign for greater equality and access for disabled artists across the arts sector.

About DDFI40

DaDaFest International returns 8th-31st March 2025 to celebrate DaDa’s 40th Anniversary and this time they are coming with ‘RAGE: A Quiet Riot’.

DDFI40 will showcase work by disabled artists that captures all shapes and sides of rage. From the internal quiet frustrations and righteous rage, to overt injustice and activism, DDFI40 will explore disability rights, disability arts, access, ableism and ‘Rage’ in an explosion of creativity.

This workshop is part of Ignite, DaDa’s artist development programme to help you re-engage with your inner creative.

Whether you’re an emerging artist looking for advice, established and wanting to try something new, or just interested in expanding your horizons and kickstarting creativity in your life, then come along to a free workshop and ignite that creative spark.

This session is one of their special features as part of DaDaFest International 40.

About this session:

This is an opportunity for you to find out more about what Arts Council England do and how you can apply for funding.

This webinar is for first time applicants based in the North of England or those who may have never heard about the Arts Council before. The session will be delivered online via Zoom.

The session will cover:

An introduction to Arts Council England

About DaDa :

DaDa is an award winning and pioneering disability arts organisation based in Liverpool with international reach and impact. Founded in 1984, we were one of the first disability-led arts organisations in the UK and an integral part of the campaign for greater equality and access for disabled artists across the arts sector.

About DDFI40:

DaDaFest International returns 8th-31st March 2025 to celebrate DaDa’s 40th Anniversary and this time we are coming with ‘RAGE: A Quiet Riot’.

DDFI40 will showcase work by disabled artists that captures all shapes and sides of rage. From the internal quiet frustrations and righteous rage, to overt injustice and activism, DDFI40 will explore disability rights, disability arts, access, ableism and ‘Rage’ in an explosion of creativity.

ACE main funding programme: National Lottery Project Grants and Developing Your Creative Practice
How to get started with your application and top tips
Questions & Answers session

Once you have booked a ticket, you will receive a confirmation email from eventbrite. A link to the Zoom webinar will then be sent out to attendees closer to the event.