The Zara Show

Lisa Simpson is a Liverpool based Choreographer & Workshop leader with quadriplegia  Cerebral Palsy and no verbal communication. She’s the director of Lisa Simpson Inclusive  Dance and an Artistic Director at Sense Touchbase Pears, working on a new National Inclusive  Dance Programme. For this interview she is joined by her husband John who acts as translator,  and her colleague Rebecca Randall who is Resident Dance Artist at Sense.  Lisa shares her love of technology and visual arts, explains how she uses her eye gaze  communication tool, and delves into her deep passion for choreography and how she helps  others realise their choreographic visions with the revolutionary ‘Simpson Board’.

Lele is the youngest guest to appear on The Zara Show. She’s right at the beginning of her  creative journey, but already has experience of working in the professional arts sector. Lele is  based in Birmingham, she lives with Cerebral Palsy and is passionate about theatre, arts-in-health and arts-therapy; currently studying ‘Applied Theatre’ at Birmingham City University. She  has some excellent advice and anecdotes around patience and slowing down, and shares her  fears and excitements about a future career in the arts, and her ambitions to work in a  leadership position.

Jess Thom is a writer, artist and part-time superhero, who co-founded Touretteshero in 2010 as  a creative response to her experience of living with Tourettes Syndrome. She campaigns for  disability rights and social justice and is on a mission to change the world ‘one tic at a time’.  Jess has an energetic conversation with Zara about the urgency of her work, what her tics feel  like, the importance of language and her love of banana ice lollies.  

* Listeners should be aware that due to some of Jess’ tics, this episode includes some obscene  language. In the editing process we did not want to sensor Jess in any way so the conversation  is unedited, therefore listener-discretion is advised.

Performer and creative writer Dr Jessi Parrott talks to Zara having recently completed a PhD

which centred around research into disability as an employment issue in UK theatre and

television. They discuss balancing creative and academic work during the pandemic

and how singing in a virtual choir has helped them feel connected to a wider community and

been a tonic for feelings of isolation and loneliness. Self-described as a queer disabled artist,

Jessi has a lot of enlightening views around representation and inclusion within the arts industry,

and celebrates the resourcefulness and openness of the disabled community. As well as shining

a light on Jessi’s quick wit and fierce intelligence, the podcast also celebrates Zara and her

guest’s passion for myths and fantasy - join them as they agonise over their preference for

unicorns or dragons in an entertaining game of ‘would you rather’!

Performer Raji Gopalakrishnan is a close friend and collaborator of Zara’s, and the pair share

stories of making, baking and exploring together both online and in person on long walks in the

countryside. Raji is deafblind and uses tactile British Sign Language - using her hands to feel

the signs - and for this episode she is joined by her communicator-guide Sally McNeill, who

voices Raji’s interview. This is a buoyant conversation where Raji expresses her appreciation of

nature, appetite for travel and how dancing is her ‘happy-place’. She urges listeners to think

about inclusion and always try to be equal, and makes an appeal on behalf of all disabled

people - “don’t forget about us”.

Episode Transcript: https://bit.ly/3jzgdM8

Spoken word artist, performer, songwriter and poet Miss Jacqui has a conversation with Zara

about how she has been working creatively at home during the pandemic. She makes work so

that listeners can see the world differently - and as a special treat she performs the first poem

she ever wrote, where people with disabilities are described as ‘fireworks in the daytime’! Tune

in as they both discuss Jacqui’s creative journeys, her love of animals, prioritisation of kindness

and mission to challenge societal perceptions and share what it actually means to be a black

woman with a disability.

Transcript: https://bit.ly/3kBO2gp

Credits

Written and hosted by Zara Jayne

Direction and music by Sam Frankie Fox

Edited & mixed by Fox & Rocha

Artwork by Channi Dorset of cr8tivewallflowerinc.com

This podcast is produced in collaboration with the ‘Sense Arts and Wellbeing

Team’. Sense is a national disability charity that supports people with complex

disabilities including deafblindness.

‘Sense, Connecting Sight, Sound and Life – No one left out of life, no matter

what’.

Supported by DCMS, #letstalkloneliness

#TheZaraShow

@zara_jayne87

@sensecharity

www.sense.org.uk

Introducing The Zara Show, a podcast created in collaboration Sense, the national disability charity. For this pilot series Zara explores the lives of artists and performers who have disabilities, and talks to them about their work, world views and life in lockdown.

Written and hosted by Zara Jayne Arnold: @zara_jayne87

Direction and Music by Sam Frankie Fox:  @samfrankiefox

Edited & mixed by Fox & Rocha

Artworks by Channi Dorset : @cr8wallinc

Supported by DCMS #letstalkloneliness : @DCMS

In collaboration with Sense Arts: @Sensecharity @StephSenseArts @SunneySenseArts @OliviaSenseArts