Media Release I 12 May 2014 I For Immediate Release

Photography Exhibition Revealing Working Lives

of Disabled People
12 June 26 July 2014. Pop-up exhibition space: 8 Water Street, Liverpool.

The Exhibition Working Lives: Here and There will include new work
commissioned by DaDaFest from photographers Adam Lee, Ciara Leeming,
Colin McPherson and Tom Wood.


Image above: Sarah Bush, by Colin McPherson. Commissioned by DaDaFest 2014.
Available in high-res on request.
It will feature large scale photographs taken in Liverpool (here) and from countries
across the world (there). The images depict disabled people in their workplaces,
challenging myths surrounding disability and employment, through positive
depictions of disabled people in work. Accompanying the exhibition are stories from
the people depicted.
Unemployment rates for Disabled people in the UK are on average 53%
1
of those of
working age despite research showing the benefits of disabled people as employees
and the nature of entrepreneurship conducive to the life patterns of many disabled

1
Department for Work and Pensions, 2013

people. In other parts of the world, unemployment figures for disabled people are
over 90%
2
.
Ruth Gould, Artistic Director of DaDaFest said: This exhibition makes a powerful
political statement about the similarities and differences of working lives of disabled
people from across the globe. I am delighted with how the photographers have
captured the people featured, and the personal stories they tell, within this political
context.
The exhibition is an element of the programme of cultural events
commissioned for the International Festival for Business, running in June-
July. Councillor Wendy Simon said: This exhibition from DaDaFest demonstrates
the ground breaking and diverse cultural programme Liverpool has to offer. We are
particularly pleased it is part of the International Festival For Business as Liverpool
leads the way in ensuring all its citizens can be engaged, contributing and part of the
working ecology.
Photographer Colin McPherson said I was delighted to be commissioned by
DaDaFest to be part of the Working Lives - Here and There project. The challenge
for me was to use my photography to communicate the ideas behind the project
whilst bringing to the fore the character of the people I was photographing. I wanted
to produce something that looked positive, direct, optimistic and powerful which
could be seen in the context of the positive contribution the subjects make to their
working environment. In the end I chose to make portraits in collaboration with the
people I photographed, to allow them to feel that they were part of the process as
well as being the subjects of the images.
The Photographers: Adam Lee is a Liverpool based freelance documentary and
commercial photographer and photographic workshop facilitator, much of his work
centres on disability. Ciara Leeming is a Manchester-based freelance writer,
photographer and multimedia producer focusing on social affairs, education and
culture. Colin McPherson is an award-winning photographer and visual artist based
near Liverpool. Tom Wood is an internationally exhibited artist best known for his
street photography around Merseyside. His work has also been widely published and
received awards. He was recently featured in the BBC 4 documentary series What
Do Artists Do All Day.

2
United Nations Factsheet on Persons with Disabilities
http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp/www.disability.gi/images/default.asp?id=255
The exhibition is accompanied by an online gallery of both disabled and non-
disabled people at work. To visit, and contribute your own working-selfie, visit
www.dadafest.co.uk
Listings Information:
Working Lives: Here and There
12.30 5.30pm, 12 June 26 July 2014
8 Water Street access via Rumford Street

There will be a series of 3 talks alongside the exhibition about employment, disability
and art as a tool for social change. To find out more visit www.dadafest.co.uk

Preview Event Invitation:
You are invited to the preview happening 5-7pm, Wednesday 11 June. RSVP to
jackm@dadafest.co.uk

For more information please contact the Marketing Manager at DaDaFest.
Email: rutha@dadafest.co.uk Telephone: (0151) 707 1733. Photographs are
available for publication with credit.

Notes to Editors
This exhibition is part of the International Festival for Business 2014 Culture programme.
The UKs International Festival for Business Cultural Programme, happening June July
2014. For more information visit www.ifb2014.com

About DaDaFest
DaDaFest is a disability and Deaf arts organisation based in Liverpool with a national and
international reputation for innovative arts delivered to high standards of accessibility.
Working to the Social Model of Disability and aiming towards an inclusive social
understanding of disability, DaDaFest delivers the festival and other arts events to promote
high quality arts from unique cultural perspectives. It also produces opportunities for disabled
and Deaf people to access the arts, including training and a young peoples programme.
Visit www.dadafest.co.uk or follow @DaDaFest on Twitter.

DaDaFest International 2014 will be taking place in Liverpool from 8 November 2014 11
January 2015 with the theme Art of the Lived Experiment.

DaDaFest is funded by: Exhibition venue partner: