Festival celebrates deaf and disabled artists
GRAEME BRAIDWOOD PHOTOGRAPHYAn annual festival celebrating deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists is taking place in south London.
The three-day event, which ends on Sunday, is curated by charity Drunken Chorus and is London's flagship disability arts festival.
Liberty Festival features stand-up comedy, inclusive fitness workouts and immersive theatre.
The event takes place in Croydon as part of the 'This is Croydon: London Borough of Culture Festival'.
Jess Thom, an artist and writer who is the co-artistic director of Touretteshero, a project aimed at increasing awareness of Tourette syndrome, is one of the performers at the festival.
She told the BBC: "We are showcasing a new piece of work at the Liberty festival called 'Journey to a better world' that is a space-themed installation for children and adults.
"It came from my experience shielding during the Covid pandemic, managing that time as a disabled person is like being on a long and unpredictable journey just like going to space is."
Talking about the importance of the festival, Ms Thom said it was "really necessary to have a space that centres on disabled children and provides them with an opportunity to be creative and be part of a community."
Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon, said the festival was an "opportunity to shine a spotlight" on these performers and "showcases belonging and pride for all communities within the borough and beyond".
The festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
Felicity Crawshaw
Liberty Festival
James Greenhalgh
