When the video of Quaden Bayles, showing him in distress and wanting to kill himself because of the bullying he has been experiencing at school went viral, I don’t think anyone could have anticipated the number of reactions the video created. There was the reaction that he and his mum had staged it. Then there …
It’s half-term for us and it feels like we’ve packed a load of fun things in already. We’ve been to Tynemouth Aquarium, St Mary’s Lighthouse, Roker beach, Pizza Hut and trying out the local community swimming pool – thankfully not all in the same day! The week has also been a bit of challenging in …
Winter blues are rather stifling and it’s far too easy to stay in your own head as we do indoors. While I love the crispness of the cold, hibernating does not make for a productive person. There are certain times of the year when we need to rest and recuperate, to slow down a bit …
Last year, at the beginning of 2019, a group of emerging artists and creative activists gathered at ChapelFM – Arts Centre for East Leeds. The first cohort arrived for the beginning of a new, year-long, course called UNION – The Northern School of Creativity and Activism. The same weekend, 52 weeks later saw 15 of …
It is with sadness, given the current circumstances, that I have decided to cancel the online workshop. Once, as a society, we know where we are after this dreadful virus, we can look at arranging another date and time. Thanks to everyone who has supported the promotion, organising and funding of this opportunity. I really …
Wow! It’s the end of the 2010s! I’m not sure it’s a decade that people will forget lightly. There has been much upheaval all around the world. Personally, I feel like I’ve only had a chance to catch my breath in the last month or so to really take in the challenges and the good …
It’s time to reflect on Hello Little Lady’s – A Year in Review 2019. The past 12 months have been a whirlwind of activity and experiences. Thankfully there has been more happy experiences than sad. Working by and for myself is a lonely, isolating slog at times. It feels like you’re not achieving much or …
Over the years, and what informs most of my work is the silencing of the Dwarfism experience. Incidents happen and more often than not, an average-height, non-disabled person, whether that be friends, family and well-meaning acquaintances, will tell you to just get on with it. It’s all meant well, that by getting on with it, …
What’s Your Story is a podcasting workshop recorded at ChapelFM Arts Centre, in Leeds on 19th October 2019. The workshop, which coincided with Dwarfism Awareness Month 2019, was a chance for me to develop as a participatory practitioner, and for fellow members of the Dwarf community to gain the skills and confidence to talk about …
To celebrate Dwarfism Awareness Month 2019, I’m sharing some of the photographs from the ‘You’re Just Little’ exhibition which debuted in 2018. The exhibition shows the challenges, obstacles and societal assumptions that Dwarf people face on a daily basis. THE STORY BEHIND THE PHOTOGRAPH Ah, the humble public toilet. That everyday task us humans undertake …
