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DaDaFest International 40

Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor
DaDaFest International 40 at Bluecoat
Image courtesy of Cathy Mager/ Spectroscope. Hand Ships Sail at Bristol Light Festival.

DaDaFest at the Bluecoat at Bluecoat, City Centre 8 — 31 March 2025 Entrance is free — Visit now

Celebrating 40 years of groundbreaking disability and Deaf arts, we’re thrilled that DaDaFest returns for 2025 with a bold and unapologetic programme.

2025 marks the 40th anniversary of DaDa and the theme for this year’s festival is ‘RAGE: A Quiet Riot’, chosen to reflect the work that still has to be done to achieve full equity in terms of disability and Deaf arts. This milestone festival – DaDaFest International 40 (DDFI40) – will showcase powerful performance, thought-provoking exhibitions and innovative films alongside workshops and talks. Most pleasingly, most of the events taking place are free, with activity taking place across Liverpool and online.

Live performance highlights at this year’s festival include Pimp My Wheelchair (March 9-30), where Faith Bebbington and Janet Price transform mobility aids into striking sculptures at Sefton Park Palm House. Meanwhile, Unity Theatre hosts Shooting From Below (March 21), which sees Midgitte Bardot challenge perceptions of dwarfism, and Not F**ing Sorry* (March 22), a shameless punk crip cabaret, while, Rage Reactor (March 22-23) at Bluecoat explores trauma through poetry and installation. Further highlights include interactive performance from Dora Colquhoun, storytelling with Natalie Denny, Eat Me and Preach drag cabaret (March 28), and a dance workshop with Patrick Bannon (March 29) at the Open Eye Gallery.

With a programme spanning performance, film, visual arts, other significant events include Rage, Riot and Revolution, a new photographic exhibition at the waterfront Open Eye Gallery (8 – 31 March); Hand, Ships, Sail, a stunning poetic British Sign Language film installation screened on the outside of the Cunard Building (8 March), and a special Bluecoat Weekender (22 & 23 March) at DaDa’s city centre home.

We love that DaDaFest always brings a potent mix of activism, creativity, and raw expression, and DDFI40 promises to challenge perceptions and amplify marginalised voices while igniting conversations that resonate far beyond the art world. Bring it on.

DaDaFest at the Bluecoat at Bluecoat, City Centre 8 — 31 March 2025 Entrance is free Visit now

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