Liberty Festival 2023

Liberty is the Mayor of London’s annual free festival celebrating groundbreaking work by Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists.

In 2023 Liberty Festival was produced by Drunken Chorus as part of This Is Croydon, London Borough of Culture 2023.

Liberty Festival took place 1st - 3rd September in and around Fairfield Halls, The Queen’s Gardens and BOXPARK

Liberty Festival was a relaxed event which included relaxed performances where audience members were able to come and go as they need, make noise and tic.

There was a Wellbeing Hub which provided a calm space away from the performances during the festival. There were people on hand to help with any access support audience members needed, such as BSL Interpretation and Audio Description.

All photos by Paul Fuller

Two dancers wear turquoise and fuchsia early 90s shell suits. One dancer sits in a wheelchair and leans back, the other kneels on the floor arms outstretched as if pushing her back. The audience sit in the background watching.
Two dancers are in the centre of the image, lit by blue lights. An audience stand in a line behind them watching. The set is made out of long screens that hang from the ceiling and mirrors.
On stage, a black comedian stands smiling behind a microphone. She wears a pink top and large circular earrings.
Outside on a sunny day. Two people dressed as unicorns looking grumpy, with iridescent hooves stand in a park surrounded by bemused onlookers.
Handwritten notes attached to a green glitter curtain. The first is cloud shaped and reads “be kind, caring and whoever and whatever you want to be (with snacks)”. The second is star shaped and reads “Free food for everyone!”
Outside on a sunny day. In front of a bookshelf, three smiling performers stand with their arms outstretched, holding up two large ladders. At the top is a fourth performer, arms and legs outstretched holding on to both ladders.
The interior of Breathing Room, an installation outside. Two visitors make their way through a tunnel of white cones away from the camera. Spots of sunlight have made it through the cones and illuminate the ground.
Outside on a sunny day. Three Janes, stood together, all wearing dark blue shiny dresses and long brown curly wigs. Their hands are on their hips.
Outside on a sunny day. Two dancers are caught mid-movement. One dancer is female presenting and wears a suit. She performs a deep lunge and holds onto the wheelchair belonging to the second dancer. This dancer is male presenting and wears a dress. H
In black and white. A musician sits behind a microphone playing a sitar. He wears dark glasses. Audience members sit in the foreground, out of focus.
In black and white. On stage, a performer sits on a chair, both her arms outstretched. She has short hair and wears a plain top, patterned trousers and chunky boots.
In black and white. A DJ behind the decks, mixing. Out of focus fairy lights are in the background.
An accessible HIIT workout session. The camera is behind the participants, looking at the trainer who is leading the session. Some participants are lifting a knee, some have their hands up to their heads.
Outside on a sunny day, five performers stand in a line wearing red boiler suits, facing away from the camera towards an audience. In the background is a street with Croydon Clocktower, a large office building and red London buses.
The room is decorated to look like the inside of a spaceship. A boy sits in a wheelchair watching as someone out of shot creates an enormous bubble – big enough for him to fit inside!
Outside on a sunny day. Tracey, dressed in head to toe in lycra, is twirling a long colourful ribbon. She is surrounded by audience members who are joining in.
A man speaks into a microphone. He has light stubble and wears a cap. Audience members sit in the foreground, out of focus.
Rachel Gadsden is painting a large colourful artwork. In the background, members of the Inner Vision Orchestra play on stage. Audience members sit in the foreground, out of focus.
Outside on a sunny day. A group of diverse people, all wearing different costumes, and colourful wigs stand in a line. Some look shocked and some look angry.
A DJ behind the decks, bathes in orange light. One hand is mixing, the other holds on to the SUBPAC, a device allowing him to feel the music.
Outside on a sunny day. Five dancers, all wear pink patterned shirts and trousers. They dance together, their arms and legs all bent at angles.
In black and white. People stand and sit, watching a film on a big screen
In black and white. A performer wears a white facemask and lift his arm. In the background, out of focus is another performer wearing the same kind of mask.
In black and white. Two dancers are on a rocking board, one stood up, leaning back looking at the ceiling, the other balancing on their shoulders, legs up in the air. The board is tilted diagonally. Audience members are in the background watching.
Artist and performer Rachel Gadsden wearing black leather corset and pannier skirt with syringes attached, stands in front of three large canvases painting abstract images.
A woman with green curly hair in a glittery dress stands smiling holding a wand, in front of blue and green glitter curtains. Handwritten notes in the shapes of stars, hearts and clouds are attached to the glitter curtains.
Outside on a sunny day. A silent disco is taking place. Audience members have headphones on and dance to music being played by a DJ behind the decks.
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