An interview with Matty from Cross The Sky

Cross the Sky are a Barnsley based theatre company for adults in South Yorkshire with Autism and learning disabilities. The company has been a permanent feature of Barnsley’s disability arts landscape for over fifteen years. Now an integrated part of The Civic’s theatre and community offer, the company is lead by three artists; Becky Newbould, […]

Wonderfully Wired

Vicky Morris is an award-winning poet and creative practitioner based in Sheffield. She also had a late diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (then diagnosed Asperger’s) and ADHD in her early 40s. She’s the founder of Hive, a creative writing hub for young people aged 14-30 in South Yorkshire, which offers a wide range of writing […]

An interview with Fat Life Drawing

The multiple lockdowns that have happened since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in Spring 2020 have seen new artistic endeavours flower in virtual spaces around the world. Despite the often painful experiences that many have suffered since Covid hit, the use of online conferencing software and apps to create new safe spaces for people […]

Pete Selwood X LimbBo

Jane Hewitt trustee of LimbBo Foundation in conversation with stand-up comedian Peter Selwood. Jane Hewitt is the grandmother of Tommy, a little boy who was born with Limb Difference. She is also the trustee of the charity LimbBo Foundation, who create working assistive devises for children who need them and among many wonderful things, have […]

Frozen Light Theatre

Frozen Light are one of the UK’s leading theatre companies specialising in work produces for audiences with profound and multiple learning disabilities. In Feb 2021, Co-Artistic Director Lucy Garland spoke to Jason White at The Civic to find out more about creating sensory led theatre and what the past year has meant for them and […]

BOLDLY GO with Caroline Cardus

Spring 2021 saw visual artist Caroline Cardus become our latest artist in residence, collaborating with Barnsley’s disabled community to create The Barnsley 15 a public art project now installed in Mandela Gardens. This was a continuation of The Way Ahead which first came to life 17 years ago and uses the subversion of familiar symbols […]

Toy Like Me

As The Civic, Barnsley hosts Toy Box Tales, celebrating disability representation in toys, its creator Rebecca Atkinson shares the story behind the images and how they helped to change the global toy industry for millions of children. In 2015, I was tidying up my children’s bedroom when I noticed there were no disabled characters amongst […]