In a special disability history month episode, Access and Support Coordinator at DaDa, Denise Kennedy, takes us on a trip to Edinburgh Fringe. While travelling around the festival, Denise catches up with disabled artists and practitioners embedding access into their performances.

Through their discussions you can gather ideas of how access can be planned into performance, hear about the experiences of disabled artists taking part in fringe, and find out about some brilliant productions currently on tour that you won't want to miss.

DaDa invited a group of disabled artists to enjoy a visitor of an exhibition by international artist Amy Claire Mills at Bluecoat.

Amy Claire Mills is a Neurodivergent and Disabled artist whose work delves into themes of advocacy, identity, and resistance. Her work ‘Deep End’, that the group explored, is a multidisciplinary installation with sculptural body supports, inflatables, plush text sculptures, quilted patchwork towel, wall mural, textile flags, carpet, at Liverpool Biennial as part of a Co-commission with DaDa.

The group were led around the exhibition by DaDa’s Access and Support Co-ordinator, Denise Kennedy, so they could explore and feed back on the access available while enjoying a sensory experience, touching the textures used and exploring ‘Deep End’ as a title.

Podcaster Tom Walker joined the tour to capture the experience and find out what the disabled artists thought.

You can catch Amy’s installation at The Bluecoat in Liverpool as part of Biennial ‘Bedrock’ until mid-September 2025.

Featured on this podcast are:

Tom Walker - Broadcast journalist and Podcast Host

Denise Kennedy - Access & Support Co-ordinator at DaDa

Denise Armstrong – Deaf Artist

Shaun Fallows – Disabled Artist

Adrian Watts - Access Liaison Officer, Liverpool Biennial

Rachel McMahon - Blue Room Staff

Tom Rooney – Blue Room Artist