Liverpool’s D/deaf and Disability Arts Organisation has appointed not one but two people in the role of joint Artistic Director & CEO.
Nickie Miles-Wildin and Grace Ng applied together, knowing that their combined experience will bring something to the role that hasn’t been seen before.
And whilst Nickie was Artistic Advisor for last year’s festival, Grace is new to DaDaFest.
Having seen DaDaFest respond to deaf and disabled arts during COVID-19 with their first online festival last November, it was the future vision the pair had for the organisation which sealed the deal on Nickie and Grace’s joint application.
But the appointment is more than just a job share. It is a partnership which further develops DaDaFest’s commitment to being the leading disability-led arts organisation in the country. Nickie and Grace are now keen to develop an even greater diverse, intersectional approach to the organisation’s future.
Nickie says:
As two women marginalised by society we are really excited at joining DaDaFest in the role of joint Artistic Director and CEO. Our focus is on the intersectionality of D/deaf and disabled artists, providing space for the incubation of ideas, collaborations of artists in Liverpool, the North West of England and internationally and providing creative accessible platforms for artists.
DaDaFest will continue to challenge the arts world, to create high quality work, and inspire the next generation of D/deaf, disabled and neurodiverse leaders to be change makers in the cultural tapestry of the arts.
We can’t wait to work with arts organisations in Liverpool and beyond.
Coinciding with the new appointment, DaDaFest has also launched a brand new International Festival Bursary which will support a disabled artist (or artists) marginalised because of their socio-economic status, African, Caribbean, South East Asian, East Asian or South Asian diasporas background. Any money raised will be matched from DaDaFest's own funds. This supports the organisation’s aim to increase diversity, something which has been highlighted through recent world events.
Grace says:
When the arts industry closed in March, the disabled community was disproportionately hard-hit and faced inequality - this sparked the We Shall Not Be Removed Disability Arts Alliance. At the same time, the Black Lives Matter movement helped to spark awareness that the Disability Arts Movement needed to champion its intersectionality with race, gender and sexual identities when challenging ableism.
We want this new bursary to signify DaDaFest's leadership role in the sector towards an equal access approach to recovery by enabling trailblazing artists, championing high quality work, and holding social justice and the social model of disability in high regard. An intersectional group of people that say we mean business; we bring value to the table; we may not have all the answers immediately but we will think things through, collaborate and work out the best way forward.
Read more about Nickie Miles-Wildin here.
Read more about Grace Ng here.
Nickie and Grace join DaDaFest in March 2021. Both are available for interviews. Please contact us.