I’m not the most loudest voice online, but as of late, I’ve withdrawn a lot more than usual (especially from this blog) due to the Residency that I’m so grateful to have been and continue to be a part of. Don’t worry, these wettings will be narrated in good time!
Last September, I was building the confidence to network and meet and greet with like-minded Filmmakers and the creative types, around where I currently reside.
Meeting one fellow Filmmaker on a shirt and shorts kind of day, who was working outside of Chauffeur's Cottage, a place tucked away that I (like many others within Peterborough) seldom notice. The fact that I regularly walked passed here, when I used to swim at the currently closed Swimming Pool near Anglia Ruskin speaks volumes enough! My usual eye for detail deceived me.
We got talking, and he introduced me to those who work at Metal. And I sat there thinking, “Metal, why does that name sound so familiar?” It eventually clicked, that I distinctly remember doing work for Focal Point Gallery in Southend, which had connections to the Metal Arts Culture Hub there.
Completely unaware that they are branched out in 3 different locations up and down the country, I spoke more of Snapshot, as well as my current gripes with disability discrimination, and was recommended that I applied for their then up and coming Arts Residency.
Sharing the short film within the pitch, as well as a gestating idea within my growing contempt for abhorrent stigmas, stereotypes and scapegoats as of late, I was successfully chosen, alongside two other Artists with shared interests in similar mediums, exploring similarly fascinating, but important societal issues, having got to know them through the various meetups and events that rotate around Chauffeur's Cottage.
So, why the title Idøle? Well, it’s genuinely how I feel Disabled people are often perceived as (myself included), especially within the Neurodiverse communities, and those with ‘hidden’ conditions, illnesses and disabilities, such as (but not exclusive to) Fibromyalgia or Multiple Sclerosis. Constant news articles spread across the various mediums seemingly baiting people into the pretence that our requested reasonable adjustments (be it financial, or practical), are unnecessary or burdensome.
This unnecessary discourse bogged down to a dichotomy. A narrow spectrum. Of those who are seen as lazy (especially when having to claim Benefits, when no other viable option presents), contrarily with those who are lionised and championed as these superheroes, which in turn, can set a dangerous precedent of unrealistic expectations to those that seem to fall short of this.
So, I got to work and every Thursday (a day I chose, which worked better for me), working in the back designated office space; writing, collating and crafting Idøle together.
With the fantastic warm and welcome support of Metal, I have networked with various; advocates, communities, support groups and organisations within the city, which in turn helped towards a Call Out for any individuals willing to share their story or experiences that can inform the short film scripts, that will hopefully find funding to be produced and shared as far and as wide as possible in due course.
A dozen or so replies were received, and each story an eye-opener. There’s a strange sense of comfort, knowing you’re not alone when reading of other people’s hardships, especially when their lived experiences mirror your own. Simultaneously, the frustration builds, knowing that despite progress within societal acceptance of differences, we still seem to have a long way to go before equity is reached, especially within the systemic aspects of our day to day living. Benefits assessments, Doctor’s appointments, unhelpful family and friends and the like.
Not only have 3 short films been written, but to fully encompass this ‘collective suite’, I am also looking at collaborating with Poets and Dance groups within the city, so at a rough runtime of 30 minutes, this collection of various media under the title of Idøle, would hopefully help those who are ignorant or uninformed, realise what life is often like for those who are seen as lazy, or scrounging within the city, which is not the case. In turn, hopefully resonating on a national, maybe universal level, echoing a ring of truth within Disabled and Neurodiverse communities.
Though the subject matter is not the cheeriest, I feel such stories sometimes need telling, in order to help people understand, and perhaps help shape and inform future decisions towards equity and inclusivity. Hoping that through this primary medium of Filmmaking, these voices are loud enough to be; heard, understood and more importantly, accepted. If successful moving forward, I’d say it would be a wetting as good as Snapshot, let alone any.