News
What is Bella Freak?
December 9, 2017
What is Bella Freak?We’ve mentioned Bella Freak *a lot* on this website, and won’t be stopping any time soon. But what is Bella Freak?
Was Bella Freak a show? Certainly. Our acclaimed HLF-backed Fringe show, Unwritten, was promoted under the Bella Freak banner. But Bella Freak is something more. It was started as a response to the lack of physical access to cultural spaces and events, as well as a recognition that the lives and stories of a wide section of Scottish society goes unheard.
The brand-spanking new Bella Freak section of the DHS website can be accessed here, or from the menu bar at the top of every page. This tells you more about Bella Freak, and about The Case for More Inclusive Festivals and Events: Still Not There, Yet!, the Big Lottery-funded research report on disabled access to arts and cultural events in Scotland.
Read MoreJUSTICE NOT CHARITY: Saturday September 30th, 12.00-2.30pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall
September 25, 2017
On 25 April, 1920, 200 blind protest marchers organised by the National League of the Blind converged on Trafalgar Square as the House of Commons met to discuss legislation to help secure the economic and social rights of blind persons. Thousands of Londoners gathered to join them and listen to the speakers.
The only surviving image from the National League of the Blind March, Sunday April 25th 1920. (From the Working Class Movement Library, image donated by Tony Baldwinson: http://wcml.treelinesoftware.com/our-collections/object-of-the-month/photograph-of-a-1920-national-league-of-the-blind-march/)
WHAT IS JUSTICE NOT CHARITY..?
Justice Not Charity, Was Their Cry will explore the Scottish dimension of the 1920 National League of the Blind march by investigating Scottish popular press representation and archival evidence in the records of trade unions and blind organisations, and we’re looking for volunteer Citizen Researchers to assist the project and attend workshops over the next few months.
Workshops are meant to be fun, co-operative spaces where Citizen Researchers can report on their on-going results, troubleshoot problems with help from peers and workers. They can also spend the workshop time actively researching, especially if they don’t have the time or resources to do so at home. Depending on the needs of Citizen Researchers, workshops can also serve to make research materials accessible with volunteers and project workers reading or transcribing sources. Workshops can also be spaces to create art or other forms of creative engagement with the project.
If this sounds like something you may be interested in, our project taster session will be held on Saturday September 30th, 12.00-2.30pm, at the Out of the Blue Drill Hall on Dalmeny Street, Leith. This will include:
• An introduction to Disability History Scotland.
• An overview of the history of the National League of the Blind march.
• An introduction to research techniques and historical resources.
• A Q&A session.
• Tea, coffee and lunch will also be provided.To book a place at the workshop, click here.
For for any other queries, please contact Stuart Pyper at:
Disability History Scotland
4A Mitchell Street, Edinburgh EH6 7BD0131 561 0030 / admin@disabilityhistoryscotland.co.uk
Read MoreBELLA FREAK: UNWRITTEN – August 4th-12th (not 6th), The Space @ Surgeon’s Hall
August 3, 2017A debut Fringe show about disability in Scotland…
Friday August 4th – Saturday August 12th (not 6th) @ 5.15pm Theatre 3, The Space @ Surgeon’s Hall (Venue 53)
**OPENING NIGHT FRIDAY AUGUST 4th**
**TICKETS £5 PER PERSON FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY**
Performances on August 4th, 8th and 12th will be Accessible performances with a BSL interpreter and captioning for Deaf/deaf audience members.
Please Note: Audio Description was originally advertised for August 4th, 8th, and 12th. This service is sadly no longer available for these performances.
Tickets for Bella Freak: UNWRITTEN are now on sale from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe box office. Find out more about the show below, and click here to purchase.
Tickets can also be purchased from the venue box office, and from all Space venues at this year’s Fringe.
UNWRITTEN: Preview Advert…
July 6, 2017
If you follow us on Facebook or Twitter, you may have heard us mention UNWRITTEN. (And if not, why aren’t you following us?)
Anywho, UNWRITTEN… we’re rather proud of it you, and our cast and crew have been hard at work in rehearsals. Our Heritage Lottery-funded Fringe show is running from August 4th-12th (not 6th) at Theatre 3, The Space @ Surgeon’s Hall (Venue 53).
Check out our preview ad below, and book your tickets here!
Read MoreUNWRITTEN: Get Your Tickets NOW!
July 6, 2017A debut Fringe show about disability in Scotland…
Friday August 4th – Saturday August 12th (not 6th) @ 5.15pm Theatre 3, The Space @ Surgeon’s Hall (Venue 53)
Performances on August 4th, 8th and 12th will be Accessible performances with a BSL interpreter, captioning for Deaf/deaf audience members, and audio description for the visually impaired.
Tickets for Bella Freak: UNWRITTEN are now on sale from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe box office. Find out more about the show below, and click here to purchase.
The Boy Without Superpowers…
The Girl Who Spoke to the Dead…
The Man Who Broke Chains…Funny, poignant, and feisty, UNWRITTEN collects the true-life experiences of three disabled individuals in the 20th and 21st centuries, as a fundamental part of Scotland’s national story. Disability is frequently discussed in ways designed to make the non-disabled feel comfortable but, in this newly devised production, the audience is invited to leave their comfort at the door…