Disability Pride 2024 took place on Saturday 30th November 2024 at Bromley URC Church and on Zoom, with a great turnout of 124 in attendance. The variety and talent of all the acts was incredible, including poetry, theatre, craft, dance, music and comedy.
Singing from Jo Butler
We welcomed Jo Butler to sing powerful versions of “Rise Up” and “Heaven Must Have Sent You”.
Last year, Jo spoke openly about her lived experience.
“This song shows the strength and power in recovery from a breakdown which led to psychosis. Having Bipolar, ADHD and an autoimmune disease nearly had me but I Rose UP….. I’m not ashamed or afraid anymore… I got back up, not just on the stage but in life. All you need is Love and Hope, which is hard to find in such darkness but have faith. 20 months on and I’m awake, I’m alive, I’m standing and I will keep on rising. It’s ok to be afraid and there is no shame. I will continue to spread awareness and I truly hope this song will give others Hope and Strength.”
“To others out there, let this be your strength and let this be a sign that there will be brighter days. In fact the sun will shine in a brighter way.”
“Remember … you can rise up and be proud of each day you’re here, no matter how small your steps may be! For some of us, it’s as simple as getting out of bed or even breathing. I see you… be proud”
“Sometimes the road can be tough and you will have days where you fall down, but ultimately it’s OK to talk about it and not be ashamed.”
Woodwork from Duncan Devine
Duncan Devine showed us his fantastic carpentry skills with his exceptional woodwork.
He explained how he learnt his skills when he was at school and is a visual learner due to his learning difficulty.
Duncan emphasised that nothing stops him doing what he wants to do because of his epilepsy.
He explained that he was unwell the morning of Disability Pride, but it didn’t stop him from participating.
Duncan stated, “I take each day as it comes and enjoy each day.”
Asked what his favourite creation was, Duncan explained, “I love making bird boxes because I am passionate about birds. I love birds, I am a member of the Royal Society of Protection of Birds.”
If you would like to purchase one of Duncan’s creations, please contact us here and we will give you his details.
Poetry from Sedley Wilson
Sedley Wilson read out his poetry about him having a learning difficulty and is about the invisible. It was very powerful and resonated with many of us in the Disabled community where we feel we are not listened to or acknowledged.
Artwork from Bethlem Gallery
The Bethlem Art Gallery sent us a slideshow of artwork done by people with lived experience.
You can see some examples of the brilliant artwork above, but if you would like to know more, please visit Bethlem Gallery located in Bethlem Royal Hospital, Monks Orchard Road, BR3 3BX.
They are open 9:30am to 5pm Wednesday to Saturday and entry is free. They have step-free access and Disabled toilets.
Their next exhibition is their annual art fair, opening 27th November, selling hundreds of works at prices from £2 to £250.
Remix Theatre Arts
Remix Theatre Arts is a drama company for young Disabled adults. They gave us a modern twist of their Christmas panto of Aladdin. It was very entertaining and there was lots of audience participation.
Remix have a full performance of Aladdin at Bickley Park School on Sunday 8th December at 12pm. You can buy tickets here.
Music from Holly Allison and Richard Wiseman
Holly and Richard gave a fun rendition of the theme from Super Mario Brothers, The Entertainer and the theme from Tetris.
Holly then performed some of her amazing original songs, including “This is Me”.
Her first album with a friend from church has been released and it is about her life’s journey as an autistic person. She says “I find it easy to write about that”.
For more of Holly’s amazing songs, visit her YouTube channel. Also, Holly’s album, which reflects her journey as an autistic individual, is out now!
Magpie Dance
Magpie Dance did two fantastic performances at this year’s Disability Pride.
They have a vision of a world where a learning disability is no barrier to personal and artistic success in dance.
They truly showed us their vision this year!
Comedy from Lloyd Page
Lloyd amused everyone and had everyone laughing with his array of jokes.
Llyod has spoken openly online about his learning difficulty. He has been an advocate for Lewisham Speaking Up, written books for ‘Peter & Friends’ and for Books Beyond Words and had been a presenter at the Nursing Times Awards.
Lloyd says, “I believe in equality, diversity and that everyone has a right to have a voice and to be heard.”
Singing from Kayley Jeffreys
Kayley entertained us with her singing. She sung My Destiny from “Liv and Maddie: Cali Style”.
Kayley is on our Board of Trustees and says, “I was involved in our youth transition project, and I want to support X by X to expand our reach to more young Disabled people.”
Deputy Mayor, Councillor Jonathan Andrews
The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Jonathan Andrews, attended the event. He spoke about his lived experience and the challenges that came with his diagnosis of autism, but that this didn’t hold him back from achieving so much and becoming Deputy Mayor.
“I was diagnosed on the autistic spectrum when younger, and yes there are challenges, but also gives a determination in interest in certain areas and it should not hold you back from being yourself and to support people whoever they are, and I am very passionate about this cause”.
“It was all fantastic and to hear some very moving songs that moved us to tears and made us well up, relating to a lot of what we are about and the great talent of bird boxes and different skills we have heard from. It shows the diversity and wild tapestry in disability and the skills of everybody that we need to accept and understand and celebrate”.
Thanks for supporting Disability Pride 2024
We would like to thank everyone who attended in person and online, the Deputy Mayor and Mayoress, all the extremely talented acts and performers, our British Sign Language (BSL) and Speech to Text (STT) interpreters and Bromley URC Church for helping us to set up the room.
We would also like to thank London Biggin Hill Airport for a pledged donation for Disability Pride 2024.
This enabled us to pay for Speech to Text (STT) interpretation, British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation, accessible transport and refreshments to ensure that our event is accessible and inclusive for all.
We hope to see you again next year.