'This Is Who I Am' - sharing stories of people living with disabilities

This Is Who I Am forms part of a long-term project inspired by the philosophical and political beliefs of Nobel Prize winning playwright Harold Pinter and his Hackney Gang.  It is a development of London Artists Projects’ internationally acclaimed performance work within which Jeremy Goldstein captures the lived experiences of community participants whose diverse contribution to the social fabric has shaped the world as we know it. Finding a voice is of particular importance to Jeremy whose passion and personal experiences have inspired him to not only create This Is Who I Am but an entirely new genre of theatre directed by Jen Heyes, whose innovative work blends theatre, film and multimedia with participatory arts, viewing it as a vital form for artistic and social renewal.

Jeremy Goldstein 
Jeremy Goldstein is a Manchester born interdisciplinary theatre maker and a champion of inclusion. For three decades he has championed underrepresented voices and new forms of artistic expression. In 2002, Jeremy founded London Artists Projects and has since commissioned and co-created socially engaged work with celebrated artists, winning theatre awards including Evening Standard, Scotsman Fringe First, London Cabaret and BBC Audio Drama. In 2012 and in recognition of his theatre work, he was named by TimeOut as one of the 100 most influential people in UK culture. 

Jen Heyes

Jen is an award-winning theatre director and the associate director of London Artists Projects. Her directing credits include ‘Truth to Power Café’ (national and international tours), ‘Epstein the Man Who Made the Beatles’ (London’s West End), ‘Treasured’ (Liverpool Anglican Cathedral), the site-specific, immersive ‘Tony Teardrop’, and ‘Blood Wedding’ (Liverpool Playhouse). Most recently Jen has created, written and directed a cinematic theatre reimagining of HEDDA (After Ibsen) starring leading avant-gardist David Hoyle composed by Tom Parkinson. The stream can be viewed on Soho Theatre on Demand until October 2022.

Nadia Clarke (UK)
Nadia lives in Yorkshire. She is deaf and has cerebral palsy. As a writer and advocate she has spoken at the UK Houses of Parliament and campaigned for the right to a mainstream education. She has since gone on to speak at conferences and deliver training to University social care students.  She currently works as a Travel Ambassador for Inclu-Travel, the focus of which is travel accessibility and opportunities for all.  Recently Nadia won an award for ‘Best Individual Employer’ at The Accolades.  She continues to fulfil her dreams, travelling world-wide.  

Stephanie Esther Fam (SG)
Stephanie is an abstract artist, poet and advocate who speaks out for the disabled community in Singapore. In 2018, she ventured into theatre-making and performed a self-written monologue MUM at Centre 42 as part of Project Tandem’s Making a Stand, and was cast in And Suddenly I Disappear: The Singapore ‘d’ Monologues, the first disability-led theatre collaboration between Singapore and UK. Most recently, she was a writer-performer for What If as part of the M1 Peer Pleasure Youth Theatre Festival 2020 presented online. Her collection of 51 poems Shades was published in 2021.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys9P3dVcrhw

Lily Goh (SG)
Lily Goh is a Deaf sign language teacher, musician and media producer based in Singapore. She is the founder of ExtraOrdinary Horizons, a Deaf-owned enterprise that raises public awareness about the Deaf Community and advocates for Deaf Music.

She was a recipient of the Singapore Woman Award 2014 and won the Humanitarian and/or Voluntary Leadership in Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World 2017.

Performing since 1989, she performs visual theatrics, Deaf Music and percussion. She has a Degree in Sociology with Communication at the Singapore University of Social Sciences. She wishes to continue making breakthroughs in the Deaf performing arts scene in Singapore.
https://www.eohorizons.com/lily-goh 

Lim Lee Lee (SG)
Lim Lee Lee holds a B.A in English Language and Literature from the Open University Degree Programme of Singapore Institute of Management. She has worn many hats during her time as Senior Guide and Trainer in Dialogue in the Dark; PR and Marketing Executive for Aljunied Town Council; guide dog advocate, motivational speaker and song lyric writer. In 2017, she was Assistant Director for The Necessary Stage’s double bill, Family Secrets. As a mentee in Project Tandem, she made her first stage appearance in the Unlimited Commission And Suddenly I Disappear: The Singapore ‘d’ Monologues in May 2018. Lee Lee is also a SYNC alumni, a training programme specially designed for artists and arts managers with disability wanting to make a difference in and through the arts. 

Irving McCormick (UK)
Irving was born in 1997 in Cambridge.  He was born with quadriplegic cerebral palsy which affects all four of his limbs and uses a wheelchair.  He is a founder member of Total Arts, Cambridge Junction’s arts group for young people with disabilities. As a comedian, Irving has worked with some of the UK’s biggest comedy stars including Harry Hill who he performed alongside with a at Cambridge Junction fundraiser that raised over £25,000 in order to helpIrving buy a new wheel chair that would help with his mobility. 

Ammar Nasrulhaq (SG)
Ammar is a visual creator who loves pushing and transcending boundaries. He believes in experiences more than certificates.  Growing up in both Deaf and Hearing worlds, he has witnessed and identified many differences and similarities.  Currently Ammar is a resident choreographer and instructor in the Redeafination dance crew.  His recent performance credits include ‘Hello, How Do You Move?’ by The Theatre Practice and ‘Light to Night’ 2020’s Self Portrait by Access Path Productions.  He directed Singapore’s ‘The Purple Parade’ in 2019.

Alister Ong (SG)
Alister is a champion for diversity and inclusion. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Singapore Management University and is a working professional. As a person with cerebral palsy, Alister is a passionate champion of the disability sector and as a public speaker has spread his message of inclusion to tens of thousands of people across the region in Australia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam. He is Vice-Chairperson of The Purple Parade and a recipient of the Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards.
https://www.alisterong.com/

Daniel Watts (UK)
Daniel is the founder of Elephant In The Room Disability Services UK, co-founder of The Hull Fringe and a Trustee for Artlink in Hull UK.  He is a husband and father to two children, and friend to many.  Born in the 1970’s, he has since missed out on many professional opportunities in the arts, and this led him to set up his own Disability Advocacy business which aims to build awareness of the lack of access to the arts by advocating the Access by Design approach.  This has led him to work with various organisations including IETM (International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts), Tim Minchin’s UK Tour 2021, Hull Jazz Festival, and theatre companies including HERD, SLIME, and The Last Dinosaur.  He has just recently started working on the BBC Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour 2022 and is an artist participant in This Is Who I Am for London Artists Projects and British Council Singapore.