Crip News v.96

Lots of new works, other news, calls, and events. Thanks for being here.

NEWS

New Works

• BBC One and iPlayer have commissioned Better Off Dead? (working title), a documentary by legend Liz Carr about assisted dying.

• The second installment of Wendy Univer’s exploration of access at arts and culture organizations is out now in the Broad Street Review. And here is the first part.

Documentation by Perri Cohl.

• Voss 2001 by Mae Howard was recently on view at Worthless Studios in Brooklyn.

• A new report, Levelling Access – Mapping Arts and Disability Provision in Clare, Galway City and Mayo, offers a mapping study, interview research, and a development framework for regional Irish arts and disability provision. This report follows another one from the Equality Data and Arts Council Awards that reveals that disabled artists are most likely to have funding applications deemed ineligible, apply for the lowest amounts of money, and receive the lowest levels of funding.

Noise by Nua Dance

• London’s Liberty Festival heads to Croydon this week.

• Naomi Ortiz interviews Stephanie Heit, author of Psych Murders, about legacies of disabled writing-craft for Literary Hub.

• Eddie Ndopu’s Sipping Dom Pérignon Through a Straw: Reimagining Success as a Disabled Achiever is out now. Kathi Wolfe from the Washington Blade published an interview-feature with Ndopu.

• The Washington Post has published a collaborative and illustrated article about disabled gardening, with reporting by Amanda Morris and illustrations by Sonaksha.

• For Esquire, A Andrews offers an illustrated report on the financial strain of ableism.

Photo by Ralph Brown.

• The Spinoff published a profile of Rodney Bell (Ngāti Maniapoto) as part of a series with Creative New Zealand Toi Aotearoa.

• Disabled journalist Cathy Reay reported on the often-hostile environments of reality TV dating shows for disabled people.

• The Body is Good by Jessica Wallach is up in the main lobby of the Massachusetts General Hospital.

Olivia Sun, The Colorado Sun via Report for America.

• Phamaly Theatre Company is performing A Midsummer Night’s Dream through Sept. 2nd at the Kilstrom Theatre in the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

• For the Chicago Reader, Irene Hsiao reported on a recent program called Cripping the Galleries at the Art Institute of Chicago in collaboration with Bodies of Work: A Network of Disability Art and Culture and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.

Photo by Petra Kuppers

• “Starship Somatics: Disability Walking in Outer Space” by Petra Kuppers has been published in The Hopkins Review.

In Other News…

• ArtPrize awarded the Chris Smit Legacy Grant to DisArt, the organization Chris led.

• Lawyers for the music festival Coachella are threatening legal action against Cow Tipping Press for using the name Cowchella for its annual disability literary festival featuring writers with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

• There’s been a spate of news about inaccessible public spaces:

  • Last month, the National Gallery of Art ejected a disabled educator after refusing to offer a reasonable accommodation.

  • After $140 million was spent on the new Geelong Arts Centre in Australia, it turns out its bathrooms are inaccessible.

  • Music festivals in the U.K. (and around the world) are failing to provide accessible bathrooms.

  • In June, disabled artist Ellice Patterson staged a “protest crawl” to draw attention to the inaccessibility of Boston’s Mattapan Square.

• But for some good news:

  • Amtrak is seeking approval from the Federal Railroad Administration for Alternative Design Standards that will make their new intercity trains more accessible than current regulations require.

  • And the redesign of Gosforth Civic Theatre in the U.K. has disabled artists in mind and includes an accessible shower room for performers.

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CALLS

From this video work.

• José Juárez, an indigenous Totonaco migrant, healer, and activist, needs funds to navigate a medical emergency. Donate here.

• NEUROMANCERS, “a Black person led and fully queer abolitionist community organisation for and by neurodivergent people,” is seeking new members of its Core Team. Apply by Sept. 30th.

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EVENTS

The BIPOC Disability Justice Summit: Our Presence is Our Power

Wednesday, Aug. 30 (online) & Wednesday, Sept. 6 (in-person in Washington DC)

The BIPOC Disability Justice Summit: Our Presence Is Our Power (OPIOP) is a dynamic two-day event that will empower disabled leaders of color and BIPOC allies to drive meaningful change. Slated to begin remotely on Wednesday, August 30, 2023, this summit is designed to provide attendees with a comprehensive toolkit for building a shared language around disability. But that’s not all – those in the Washington D.C. area can also look forward to an exclusive, leadership brunch on Wednesday, September 6th, 2023, where we’ll dive into the current landscape and top strategies related to disability justice. With the power of our presence and the strength of our collective voice, the OPIOP 2023 Summit promises to be an unforgettable moment in the fight for inclusivity and equity.

Still Coviding Weekly Hangout

Saturdays, 8 - 11pm ET, online

This hangout is open to all who are still coviding, who share the values in the community agreements, and who strive to create a community where everyone, especially people who are marginalized, can feel comfortable, respected, and able to share in community with others, while recognizing that we may stumble at times. Come with a willingness to recognize mistakes and a commitment to keep trying with the right intentions.