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Arts Council England has partnered with BBC Arts and the other UK arts councils to commission twelve new projects from D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists, to be broadcast on BBC platforms as part of the Culture in Quarantine initiative.

Culture in Quarantine is a partnership between Arts Council England, BBC Arts, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Arts Council of Wales and Creative Scotland which was designed to bring the arts into people’s homes during the pandemic.

The new commissions will help the artists make work that explores their experiences of living through the pandemic, and will form part of a range of programming across BBC platforms that marks the 25th anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act passing into law.

Each of the commissioned artists will be assigned an Executive Producer from digital support agency The Space, in partnership with Unlimited, an arts commissioning programme that enables new work by disabled artists to reach UK and international audiences. The Executive Producer will mentor and support the artists throughout production and delivery of their work to BBC platforms this summer.

Darren Henley, Chief Executive of Arts Council England said: “Culture and creativity have been lifelines for many of us throughout the pandemic, so we’re excited to support these commissions, which will encourage D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists to explore their experiences of lockdown, and ensure audiences can continue to enjoy even more brilliant cultural work across BBC platforms.”

The commissions, which include audio and film works across genres such as drama, dance, comedy, spoken word and animation, are:

SILENT WORLD – A short film by deaf rapper Signkid exploring how living in a silent world has intensified during the pandemic.
Spectrum Sounds – A collection of seven short pieces of music by Andrew Hugill based on the colours of the autistic spectrum.
Hen Night – A short film about a woman’s last night of freedom by screenwriter and theatre director Vici Wreford-Sinnott inspired by the work of journalist Frances Ryan.
Face It – Comedy-drama monologues by Miranda Walker, exploring how two women feel about their faces in the context of dating apps and mask wearing during the pandemic.
How to Thrive in 2050! 8 Tentacular Workouts for a Tantalising Future! – A film by Kai Syng Tan which calls for a more creative, equitable and “neuro-fantastic” future.
The Cat, the Mouse and the Sausage – An animated Grimm’s Brothers fairy tale by filmmaker Joel Simon.
Earth to Alice – A film by Alice McCullough about the twists and turns of living with bipolar disorder during the pandemic.
Louder is Not Always Clearer – An honest portrayal of the vulnerability of a Deaf man in a hearing world, created by Mr and Mrs Clark and performed by Deaf artist Jonny Cotsen.
Pandemic Parenting: Pandemonium – A film by Shannon Yee that uses dance and theatre to address the unique challenges of parenting young and newly born children during lockdown.
Complexity of Skin – A dance film by Matthew Gough and Krystal S. Lowe, exploring touch in periods of isolation.
Blind-sided – A radio comedy-drama about a day in the life of blind comedian Jamie MacDonald as he leaves the familiarity of his Glasgow home during lockdown.
AISLE – A short film combining poetry and illustration by Ellen Renton and Jess Fig, exploring the disabled experience of going to the supermarket during the pandemic.

Lamia Dabboussy, BBC Head of Arts said: “This batch of commissions from artists across the country showcases the breadth of inspiring work we’ve all missed experiencing over this past lockdown year. I’m thrilled that, as part of Culture in Quarantine, these pieces will be brought to life across BBC platforms. It’s imperative that D/deaf, neurodivergent and disabled professional artists are supported to carry on making brilliant work, as the constraints and continuing effects of this pandemic threaten to silence their vital creative voice.”

Gilly Campbell, Head of Community Arts and Education at Arts Council of Northern Ireland said: “The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is proud to partner with BBC Arts and The Space to offer three artists from Northern Ireland the opportunity to create new work as part of BBC Arts’ Culture In Quarantine initiative. Alice McCullough, Shannon Yee and Joel Simon are hugely talented voices in the arts sector here in Northern Ireland and we’re delighted that their work will be championed on a UK-wide platform, offering a significant increase in profile for these artists.”

Minister, Deirdre Hargey MLA at the Department for Communities, NI Executive said: “This is a very important project and a great opportunity to support our D/deaf disabled artists to develop professionally and create new work that can be showcased locally, nationally and internationally.”

Diane Hebb, Director of Arts Engagement at Arts Council of Wales said: “In this extraordinary year when the impact of the pandemic has had such a disruptive and alarming impact on so many lives, particularly the lives of our most vulnerable people, it’s more important than ever to support and showcase the work of our inspirational creative artists. We are delighted to see our own Wales based artists included in this programme of sensitive and provocative work and hope that audiences across the UK will be inspired by their resilience, creativity and incredible talent.”

Iain Munro, CEO of Creative Scotland commented: “Creative Scotland is thrilled to support this incredible range of talented artists and inspiring commissions as part of our partnership with BBC Arts and The Space, bringing the work of talented D/deaf, neurodivergent and disabled artists to BBC platforms. We celebrate the way diversity of thought and a diversity of experience feeds innovation and creativity and are delighted that thanks to National lottery players, audiences will enjoy and be inspired by the wide range of stories, perspectives and experiences supported through this initiative.”

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