5 minute read
What's on?
Sport
The Paralympic Games
Paris, France
Thursday 29 August – Sunday 8 September
Twenty-two sports will feature at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, with a total of over five hundred events.
Spectators will enjoy ten days of para-athletics (30 August - 8 September) and para swimming (29 August - 7 September) events. That’s plenty of time to put on thrilling performances and break new records.
Highlights will include the Blind football matches taking place in front of the Eiffel Tower, the Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées hosting the para taekwondo and wheelchair fencing competitions, and the paralympic road cycling races winding through the streets of Paris.
TV for the Paralympics
Channel 4 will bring viewers all the action, medals and must-see moments from every Paralympic venue across Paris.
They will also be covering the Opening Ceremony on Wednesday 28 August at 7.30pm – 10.30pm, with presenters Ade Adepitan, Clare Balding and Ellie Simmonds. The broadcast will include BSL and open descriptive commentary.
Exhibitions
Wild, Manchester Museum
Until 1 June 2025
Manchester Museum’s new exhibition, Wild, explores our relationship with the natural world and looks at how people across the globe are creating, rebuilding and repairing connections with nature.
The exhibition features work from two Venture Arts artists, Emelia Hewitt’s stunning wildlife photography and Andrew Johnstone’s characterful animal illustrations.
Venture Arts is an award-winning visual arts organisation working with learning disabled artists. Through their studio programmes, exhibitions and collaborative projects, they remove barriers to the arts and provide pathways for every individual to develop their creative identity.
Towards New Worlds, MIMA
Until 9 Feb 2025
Towards New Worlds features fifteen disabled, D/deaf and/or neuro-diverse artists sharing their experiences of seeing, hearing, feeling and sensing the world.
The exhibition offers a rich sensory environment, with moments of quiet reflection and spaces for interaction and relaxation. Through varied mediums including drawing, photography, installation, video and interactive sensory pieces, the artists call attention to the many ways of experiencing the world.
Theatre
Qudus Onikeku’s Re:INCARNATION
Southbank Centre, London
Thursday 19 September 7.30pm
In the UK premiere of this piece, ten young dancers and two musicians perform the cycle of life, set in the Nigerian city of Lagos.
The show draws on Afrobeats, an explosive cocktail of jazz, soul, funk, and traditional African music, to provide a soundtrack for the high-energy choreography.
This performance is Audio Described and there is a Touch Tour available before the performance.
The Elmer Adventure
The Lowry, Salford
Friday 25 October, 1.30pm
Join three friends on a joyful jungle adventure in this magical, musical adaptation of the much-loved Elmer books by David McKee.
The enchanting and colourful world of Elmer the patchwork elephant is brought to life through songs, storytelling and puppetry.
This performance is Audio Described by Talking Theatre, and a Touch Tour available at 12.30pm.
Wonder Boy
Derby Theatre, Derby
Saturday 26 October, 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Sonny is twelve. Living with a stammer, he’s finding his way in a world ruled by vicious vowels and confusing consonants.
Packed with playful humour, dazzling visuals and thrilling original music this innovative production includes live creative captioning on stage throughout to share a story about the power of communication.
Film and TV
Inside Out 2
Thirteen-year-old Riley Andersen is about to enter high school. Her personified emotions - Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger - are now joined by five new emotions - Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment, Ennui, and Nostalgia - leaving Headquarters in disarray.
When Riley heads off to hockey camp the new emotions try to take over, but Joy is determined to stop them.
The film has been praised for its representation of anxiety and panic attacks.
Sophie Morgan’s Fight to Fly
This new documentary by TV presenter and wheelchair user Sophie Morgan aims to shine a light on what many disabled people go through while travelling, and to call for an overhaul of the airline industry.
Sophie is also the founder of the Rights on Flights campaign which launched in March 2023 to combat accessibility and safety barriers for disabled travellers.
Watch on Channel 4.
Books
Billy’s Sister: Life when your sibling has a disability
By Jessica Leving
Growing up with a sibling who has a disability can be hard. But it can also be... awesome! Based on the author’s real-life experiences, this unique and touching children’s book explores how siblings of kids with disabilities are special, too.
Created with the aim of helping siblings of kids with disabilities identify, express and process their feelings, this book is intended to spark valuable family discussions.
Let’s Start in the Middle
By Daniel McMurray
From a constant need to move, having to find out everything about their hyperfocus, and the skill to listen to absolutely everything, this book provides one person’s experience of ADHD.
The colourful, fun and engaging illustrations are perfect to introduce ADHD to family members, friends, teachers and those wanting to learn more.
Podcasts
Access All: Disability News and Mental Health
Election Q&A: mental health, children and housing For this episode, presenter Emma Tracey is joined by Sam Carlisle from The Disabled Children’s Partnership. They are a policy campaign group of over a hundred 100 charities and children’s organisations who fight for change for disabled children. They discuss the different political parties’ manifestos on disability, healthcare and social care, and their hopes for the future.
Ologies with Alie Ward
Disability Sociology – Disability Pride
July was Disability Pride Month, and professor, researcher, activist, and Disability Sociologist Guinevere Chambers joined the Ologies podcast to bust myths and provide perspective on everything from the history of ableism, to sign language, to where ADHD and autism come into play, and how to ask for what you need.
