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A Very Queer Nazi Faust awarded ‘Unlimited’ funding! 

“An artist with something to say, and fearless in saying it.”….Marcus Dickey Horley, Curator, Tate Modern

Jan McLachlan as Lucifer and Vince Laws as John Faust, photo by Ann Nicholls
Jan McLachlan as Lucifer and Vince Laws as John Faust, photo by Ann Nicholls

A VERY Queer Nazi Faust, an experimental participatory performance created by Norfolk-based poet, artist, and disability rights campaigner, Vince Laws, highlights the plight of disabled people under the current Tory government. It was cast via social media and performed to great acclaim at Norwich LGBT+ Pride in 2017.

Funded on a shoestring, starring thirteen local legends and the DEAD PEOPLE DON’T CLAIM banner, the piece was performed to great acclaim at Norwich LGBT+ Pride in 2017.

Now, with support from Unlimited, who support ambitious, creative projects by outstanding disabled artists and companies, there will be participatory workshops at Silver Road Community Centre in central Norwich during summer 2018, culminating in a special one off performance at the Norwich Arts Centre on Wednesday, September 12, 2018 at 8pm.

Poet John Faust is suicidal. His benefits have been stopped without warning, the bailiffs are due to evict him, his dog is in the vets dying, his car needs a new clutch, and he can’t finish his poetic masterpiece while the voices inside his head torment him.

In despair, John throws himself off Beeston Bump, Norfolk’s highest peak, clutching The Tragic True Life & Deserved Death of a Benefit Scrounger written by himself, but Lucifer won’t let him drown because she loves his book and wants a bigger part.

A Very Queer Nazi Faust highlights the plight of disabled people under the current Tory government, described as “economic murder” in the British Medical Journal, and as a “human catastrophe” by the United Nations.

The performance contains adult themes and language, suicidal thoughts, Lucifer, The Naked Abseilers and poetry, but no Nazis. Support from Unlimited will enable text projections by Andrew Day for greater accessibility, and a soundscape created by Dandelion Snowley.

“I deal with fluctuating health due to HIV, depression, and anxiety, and I know how much creative activity helps me,” said Vince. “You don’t need to be queer or disabled to take part, but people with disabilities are encouraged to get involved. Workshops/rehearsals will take place every Sunday afternoon/evening from June, Silver Road Community Centre, 34 Silver Rd, Norwich NR3 4TA, culminating in a performance at Norwich Arts Centre in September, as the official launch party of Norfolk Disability Pride & Independent Living Event 2018. Bravo!”

The workshops and performance may be photographed, filmed and live-streamed.

Commissioned and supported by Unlimited, celebrating the work of disabled artists, with funding from Spirit of 2012. If you need help to take part, let Vince know, he’ll do his best to make it happen.

For more information, email: vincelaws@gmail.com 


Event: A Very Queer Nazi Faust by Vince Laws

Where: Norwich Arts Centre, 51 St Benedicts St, Norwich NR2 4PG

When: Wednesday, September 12, 2018.

Price: Tickets £6.66 (includes admin fee)

To book tickets online, click here:

FILM PREVIEW: Eyes Wide Open Cinema

An Unashamed Claim to Visibility: Short films at the intersection of queerness and dis/ability.

Venus: Dir. Faye Carr-Wilson:  "I think of my drag as kind of a big Fuck You to everyone," says the incandescent Venus Dimilo in this forthright documentary portrait about taking up the space you deserve.
Venus: Dir. Faye Carr-Wilson: “I think of my drag as kind of a big Fuck You to everyone,” says the incandescent Venus Dimilo in this forthright documentary portrait about taking up the space you deserve.

AS queer communities strive to embrace intersectional politics, those with a disability or functional diversity are often left behind. Despite the higher prevalence of disability among LGBT+ communities, disabled, D/deaf, visually impaired, learning disabled and/or chronically ill queers are often excluded from queer spaces and queer screens.

More recently, a growing body of work is redressing this balance and bringing previously invisible stories to the forefront of the conversation. This programme presents an exciting selection of performative work by functionally diverse filmmakers exploring the intersections of queerness and disability. From beautifully-rendered tales of forbidden love to how to get jiggy in (accessible) bathrooms, this collection of hilarious, agonising, erotic, tender and sexy shorts represents an unashamed claim to beauty, desire, autonomy and, above all, visibility.

This screening of short films, often absent from our cinema screens, exploring the experiences of LGBT+ people with disabilities will take place on Monday, April 23 at the Duke of York’s Picturehouse in Brighton at 6pm

The shorts will be accompanied by a performance by visually-impaired artist Ebony Rose Dark and a post-screening Q&A. The event will have closed captions (subtitles), Audio Description, and BSL interpretation.

For more information, click here:

For more information about the films, click here:


Event: Eyes Wide Open: An Unashamed Claim to Visibility: short films at the intersection of queerness and dis/ability

Where: Duke of York’s Picturehouse, Preston Circus, Brighton BN1 4NA

When: Monday, April 23

Time: 6pm

To book tickets online, click here:

Write a Will and support Martlets

Martlets Hospice in Hove are taking bookings for its Will Writing Fortnight, which begins on Monday, May 14.

FIFTEEN local Will writing experts will be giving their time free of charge in exchange for a donation to the hospice; which will help to provide care for families from across the Brighton & Hove area.

If you’re a parent, cohabiting, in a civil partnership or have dependents that can’t care for themselves then making a Will is essential to ensuring the security of your family. It will also mean that your loved ones won’t have to pay any more Inheritance Tax than they need to.

Gary Moyle
Gary Moyle

Martlets’ Legacies Manager, Gary Moyle, said: “It’s not the easiest thing to think about, but this is the perfect opportunity to get that difficult paperwork done whilst also helping an important local cause.

“Getting your Will professionally written means that you’ll have peace of mind that your wishes will be followed and that the people or causes you want remembered are going to be properly looked after.  

“Having a Will in place when you die is also reassuring for your loved ones; they will know that they are doing things exactly the way you wanted, which makes it much easier for them at a difficult time.

“It’s simple to organise, just choose from one of the 15 local Will Writers who are kindly giving their time for free and contact them from 16th April to book a slot.

“We hope that some people will also think about making a gift in their Will to Martlets.  Our care is only free thanks to the generosity of local people, whose legacies make up more than 25% of our income.

“Will Writing Fortnight gives you the chance to make a real difference to the lives of local people and their families in their time of need.”

Suggested minimum donation is £135 for a single Will and £175 for a joint Will.  All proceeds will be given direct to Martlets to help the hospice to care for people living through a terminal illness in the Brighton and Hove area.

For further information or for a free copy of the Martlets’ Gifts in Wills booklet telephone Gary Moyle at Martlets on 01273 718778 or email gary.moyle@martlets.org.uk

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