Body Beautiful: Diversity on the Catwalk
SATURDAY 14TH AUGUST – FRIDAY 26TH NOVEMBER 2021
Tues – Sat: 10am – 4pm
Body Beautiful: Diversity on the Catwalk looks at how fashion creatives are embracing inclusivity and body positivity by exploring five key themes: size, gender, age, race and disability. Visitors will learn how the industry is calling into question existing practice and why it must address diversity from the inside out to reappraise contemporary ideals of beauty.
The Museum of Transology
ONLINE EXHIBITION, 3RD SEPTEMBER 2021 – 31ST MARCH 2022
The Museum of Transology (MoT) is the UK’s most significant collection of material culture surrounding trans, non-binary and intersex lives. Participants have complete freedom to choose the object they wish to donate to represent their gender experiences. Each object has a brown tag attached to it with a hand-written message explaining its significance.
The collection halts the erasure of trans lives from history, tackles the misrepresentation of trans people in the political sphere, and combats the spectacularization of trans bodies and experiences by the mainstream media.
Poor Lass TalkS
OCTOBER 2021
Poor Lass started out as a collective run zine in 2012, created by Seleena Laverne Daye and Em Ledger. Its aim was to boost the visibility of working-class stories and experiences within DIY feminist, queer and punk cultures. The zine covered topics such as work, family, education, neighbourhoods, race, health, identity and relationships.
Since 2018, Poor Lass has also become a podcast which provides the ability to discuss prominent cultural, social and political events, from a working-class perspective, as they occur. Seleena & Em are passionate about lifting the voices of the working classes and providing a platform for us all to learn more about the intersectionalities surrounding it which make us the people we are.
Birth – Theatre Re
FRIDAY 1ST OCTOBER 2021
After the success of its critically acclaimed international hit The Nature of Forgetting, Theatre Re returns with ‘a rich tapestry of ongoing humanity’ (The Scotsman) about the evolution of family and life.
Emily is eight months pregnant when she reads her grandmother’s journal. As she delves into the depths of her family history, its pages unveil a legacy of courage, unspoken tragedies and unconditional love.
FRIDAY LIVE WITH KELSEY ELLISON
FRIDAY OCTOBER 1 – INSTAGRAM @CIVICBARNSLEY
We are pleased to announce that our next IGTV guest is Barnsley born actress Kelsey Ellison, whose recent campaign highlights the need for more disabled actors to be cast in the roles of disabled characters.
In A Darker Shade of Magic is part of trilogy of fantasy novels by V. E. Schwab. In the book, the character Lila Bard has a glass eye, just like Kelsey. When Kelsey heard that Sony Pictures were going to bring this character and book to life as a new franchise, Kelsey knew that the character had to be played by someone like her.
Earlier this year, Kelsey created a 7 minute film based upon the book, casting herself as Lila Bard. As the book includes LGBTQ+, POC and Disabled characters in a magical fantasy setting, her film’s cast and crew was made up of people from those communities. With her film, Kelsey and not only created an extraordinary audition tape, but an urgent call on studios and casting agents to have more disabled actors playing disabled characters.
Join us on Instagram Live at 2pm Friday 1st October for an hours chat with Kelsey.
Human – Extraordinary Bodies
FRIDAY 8TH OCTOBER & SATURDAY 9TH OCTOBER 2021
‘Human’ – a story about the small moments that shape us.
This new live show by Extraordinary Bodies is a poetic record of our time, based on real life stories from our company and performers, and told through circus, music and film.
‘Human’ is BSL interpreted and audio described, and all performances are relaxed. Access tours are available 15 min before the show.
Extraordinary Bodies is the partnership between Diverse City and Cirque Bijou. Funded by Arts Council England, Esmée Ferbairn and Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
Extraordinary Bodies – Human
FRIDAY 8TH OCTOBER – SATURDAY 9TH OCTOBER 2021
‘Human’ – a story about the small moments that shape us.
This new live show by Extraordinary Bodies is a poetic record of our time,
based on real life stories from our company and performers, and told through circus, music and film.
Intimate, funny and celebratory, ‘Human’ looks into the heart of birth, love and change. It reminds us that as humans, we have the extraordinary ability to move forward together by taking the time to really understand each other.
At a time when the world’s been cracked open, we invite you to spend an hour with us, imagining how we can make sure no one is left behind.
‘Human’ is BSL interpreted and audio described, and all performances are relaxed.
Extraordinary Bodies is the partnership between Diverse City and Cirque Bijou. Funded by Arts Council England, Esmée Ferbairn and Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
Tickets will be on sale soon.
Celebrating Black Fashion (online event) – POSTPoNED
New DATE TBC
An event by National Museums Scotland, join model and broadcaster Eunice Olumide as she shares her experience of a transforming industry with museum curator Georgina Ripley. Eunice and Georgina will also discuss Eunice’s recent book How To Get Into Fashion, focussing on creativity, diversity and wellbeing.
This event will be followed by a live Q&A chaired by Mal Burkinshaw, Head of the School of Design at Edinburgh College of Art – a great opportunity for anyone interested in working in a diverse and inclusive fashion industry.
Part of Black History Month 2021.
This event includes live captioning delivered by Stagetext.
Portrait of Eunice Olumide by Ioannis Koussertari
Power – Strong Lady Productions
FRIDAY 15TH OCTOBER 2021
In an attempt to find clues for how to overpower uncertainty – Charmaine asked people from all walks of life the same question: “Can you tell me about a time when you felt really powerful?”
This exciting new circus-theatre work uses the physical strength of circus skills to reveal the emotional strength in the stories she uncovered. Expect a mix of mix of storytelling, circus, comedy + a voice over soundtrack of people revealing their strength and struggle in their own words.
We travel with Charmaine, as she uncovers stories choice, change, resilience and determination – and marvels at the extraordinary strength of ‘ordinary’ people.
POWER is optimistic, uplifting, funny, physical and at times moving.
Image Credit: Sean Longmore
The LAST DINOSAUR
SUNDAY 17TH OCTOBER
Toy Box Tales
LIBRARY @ THE LIGHTBOX, BARNSLEY-
MONDAY 18TH OCTOBER – MONDAY 1ST NOVEMBER
Toy Box Tales is a pop-up exhibition with learning resources touring libraries and schools in Barnsley, throughout 2021 and 2022. Enabling playful conversations about disability, Toy Box Tales celebrates difference and explores how equipment, building design and social environments can affect life with a disability.
Toy Box Tales is an exhibition of 12 stunning graphic art images featuring toys with disabilities, including Hulk with a diabetic line, Lego Superman in a wheelchair and Princess Elsa with limb difference. This important and inspiring collection arrives in Barnsley through a year-long partnership between The Civic and the toy and arts organisation Toy Like Me, who advocates for inclusive and positive representation of children with disability in toys.
For library opening times, click here.
Toy Box Tales
LIGHTBOX BARNSLEY-
MONDAY 18TH OCTOBER – MONDAY 1ST NOVEMBER
Toy Box Tales is a pop-up exhibition with learning resources touring libraries and schools in Barnsley, throughout 2021 and 2022. Enabling playful conversations about disability, Toy Box Tales celebrates difference and explores how equipment, building design and social environments can affect life with a disability.
Toy Box Tales is an exhibition of 12 stunning graphic art images featuring toys with disabilities, including Hulk with a diabetic line, Lego Superman in a wheelchair and Princess Elsa with limb difference. This important and inspiring collection arrives in Barnsley through a year-long partnership between The Civic and the toy and arts organisation Toy Like Me, who advocates for inclusive and positive representation of children with disability in toys.
The Trial: Proper Job Theatre
FRIDAY 22ND & SATURDAY 23RD OCTOBER 2021
Working with exciting writer Chris O’Connor and celebrated writer Richard Bean (One Man Two Guvnors, Made In Dagenham), Proper Job have developed a new script for 2021 where they take on Kafka’s The Trial in a hilarious and terrifying 90 minutes that speaks of humankind’s current predicament.
The show will feature a community ensemble cast within the piece.
The Trial: Proper Job Theatre
FRIDAY 22ND & SATURDAY 23RD OCTOBER 2021
Working with exciting writer Chris O’Connor and celebrated writer Richard Bean (One Man Two Guvnors, Made In Dagenham), Proper Job have developed a new script for 2021 where they take on Kafka’s The Trial in a hilarious and terrifying 90 minutes that speaks of humankind’s current predicament.
The show will feature a community ensemble cast within the piece.
Tickets will be on sale soon.
Mark Leeming – Bearded Brutes
SATURDAY 14TH AUGUST – SATURDAY 6TH NOVEMBER 2021
Tues – Sat: 10am – 4pm
Bearded Brutes is a collection of vivid photographic portraits bursting with colour, sparkle and beards. Combining the masculinity of the bearded male with the camp flamboyance of heavy make-up and theatrical poses. The collection presents an enjoyable, offbeat insight into juxtapositions of modern masculinity.
This was a personal project that organically grew into a collection of 24 kitsch portraits. Each piece was created using costume, makeup, props and digital manipulation.
Mark Leeming – Bearded Brutes
SATURDAY 14TH AUGUST – SATURDAY 6TH NOVEMBER 2021
Bearded Brutes is a collection of vivid photographic portraits bursting with colour, sparkle and beards. Combining the masculinity of the bearded male with the camp flamboyance of heavy make-up and theatrical poses. The collection presents an enjoyable, offbeat insight into juxtapositions of modern masculinity.
This was a personal project that organically grew into a collection of 24 kitsch portraits. Each piece was created using costume, makeup, props and digital manipulation.
No boundaries – zine
OCTOBER 2021
To celebrate all that No Boundaries is and in keeping with our annual tradition, throughout the first half of this year we have been creating a Zine which binds together interviews, features and creative writing from some of the artists that make up this programme of work.
This has been kindly supported by ASOS.
The zine includes a feature on the wonderful Fat Life Drawing, our integrated theatre company Cross The Sky as well as an inside look at Body Beautiful: Diversity on the Catwalk our headline exhibition for this programme.
We are officially launching a limited edition run of these zines alongside the launch of The Way Ahead public artwork.
We also wrote a blog delving into the history of zines which you can read here.
