DaDaFest Liverpool: The disability and deaf arts festival has fully accessible programme for all

DaDaFest International Festival has returned to Liverpool this autumn with a programme showcasing the talents of disabled, deaf and neurodivergent artists and performers.

Rosa Faye Garland is a performer, clown and maker who’s opening the festival with her production Trash Salad. This is her solo comedy debut which became a cult hit at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe.

The 2022 festival, with the theme and title Hybrid, runs over six weeks from 26 October to 3 December at venues across the city and beyond, including the Unity Theatre, Bluecoat, Museum of Liverpool and St Helens Library, as well as online with accessibility being a key concern of organisers.

The first DaDaFest International was presented by DaDa in 2001 as a platform to showcase the work of disabled, Deaf and neurodivergent artists. Performance, art, spoken word and more is being made accessible during this year’s festival.

Executive Produce at DadaFest, Joe Strickland said: "Accessibility has always been important and has always been overlooked. I think that if you don’t build it into the beginning of a project, from the bed rock, creatively, it’s very easy for teams who don’t have any disabled, deaf or neuro-divergent identifying people within them to think that it’s something to be knocked off to save some time or save money. That is always a shame and also terrible. You shouldn’t make your work inaccessible, you should make it accessible and as soon as you can in the process as possible,"

"We are accessible in every sense of the word. You know, not just if you’re disabled, deaf or divergent but also if you’re not in Liverpool, if you’re busy on the night that event is happening, if you can’t get childcare, or you’re shielding. There are all sorts of reasons why work should be accessible. DaDa are making that commitment to make everything that we’re doing at this festival, hopefully moving forward 100% hybrid."