British Council is bringing the Middle East’s first Arts and Disability festival to Katara Cultural Village from March 15 to 30.
The event, being held in partnership with Qatar’s Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, showcases talents of disabled artists through a unique and varied programme.
There will be live performances, exhibitions, installations, films, discussions and workshops.
The event is one of the highlights of Qatar-UK 2013, an initiative of yearlong events that celebrate the developing partnership between Qatar and the UK in the fields of art, culture, education, sport and science.
Work for the festival event has been selected from The Unlimited Programme, the largest ever celebration and exploration of disability arts that was a major element of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.
‘Three’, a visually stunning piece of dance theatre from award-winning performer Claire Cunningham and choreographer and video artist Gail Sneddon, is to be presented. It is a deeply personal portrait that explores Claire’s 20-year relationship with her crutches.
The Marc Brew Company’s Fusional Fragments combine classical ballet and contemporary dance, as Grammy Award-winner Dame Evelyn Glennie makes music move as she performs live, fresh from her role in the Olympic opening ceremony.
This Breathing World is a dramatic collection of artwork by Rachel Gadsden. Gadsden spent the first 20 years of her life living in the Middle East and this formative cultural experience continues to inhabit and enrich all of her work.
Turning Points is a short film by Welsh film-maker Chris Tally Evans and utilises stunning images from his native Wales, images that comment on the narrative, sometimes beautiful, sometimes wry, always enchanting.
In Macropolis, by Joel Simon, two disabled squeaky toys escape from the factory and find themselves lost and alone in an urban world full of over-sized humans. Shot using a unique mix of stop-motion animation and time-lapse photography on the streets of Belfast, Macropolis is a modern-day fable with a striking visual appearance.
Sue Austin’s performances in a self-propelled wheelchair will forever transform the perception of disability in the documentary film, Creating the Spectacle. Artist Rachel Gadsden leads a Body Mapping Workshop for families with disabled children.


Related Story