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Graeae Theatre Company is committed to developing and producing new work and writing. Graeae founded in 1980 by Nabil Shaban and Richard Tomlinson. Having met at college in Coventry, creating productions involving disabled people, their shared vision was to dispel images of defencelessness, together with prejudices and popular myths, around disabled people through theatre, workshops and training.
By May 1980, a company of disabled performers was established to perform the first-ever Graeae play Sideshow.
Writing in Disability, Theatre and Education in 1982, Richard Tomlinson said 'The story (of the Graeae) appealed to both of us. We were happy to concoct morals on the subject of disabled people supporting each other.’
Since 1980, Graeae has achieved an international reputation as a pioneer of accessibility in world-class theatre, with the original impetus of its founders still at its very core. They are passionate about performing stories in an accessible way, putting access at the heart of every commission process. From idea to page to stage.
By enabling, developing and producing the work of established and emerging writers, Graeae Theatre Company champion a tradition of integrated access and equal representation.
The ‘Graeae Aesthetic’ explores new ways of performing and telling stories. Their commission and development process explores the possibilities for integral accessible communication within every play, including on-stage sign language interpreters, use of film or recorded sound, captioning, powerpoint projections and audio description.
They places disabled artists centre-stage in a diversity of new plays , pioneers a radical dramatic language by exploring the 'aesthetics of access', creatively embedding a range of tools such as audio description and sign language from the very beginning of the artistic process , explores new territory and theatrical genres – from contemporary classics to musicals, to outdoor circuit with sway poles and giant puppets!
THE TEAM
Jenny Sealey MBE, Artistic Director
Amit Sharma, Associate Director
Judith Kilvington, Executive Director
Kevin Walsh, Building & Facilities Manager
Michael Achtman, Access Manager
Robin Bray Hurren, Access Support Assistant
Jodi Bickerton, Training & Learning Coordinator
Liz How, Marketing Coordinator
Sukjit Malka, Finance Assistant
Emma Dunstan, Administrator
Graeae Theatre Company
Bradbury Studios,
138 Kingsland Road,
London E2 8DY.
UK
info@graeae.org
Here are few videos reflect some of their work.