A number of the fantastic artists involved with PUSH ME are pushing their stuff out there this month in the lead up to September’s big showcase at the Southbank.

We’ve been hard at work reading and collating some of the reviews of the on Disability Arts Online so you can find them all in one handy sweep!

First of all, we have Simon McKeown’s ‘Motion Disabled: Unlimited’. You can read Deborah Caulfield’s thoughts on seeing it here:

Weighing 110 kg and standing 11 metres high, – twice as tall as a giraffe and six times taller than the average British male – McKeown’s inflatable sculpture was by far the biggest thing in Oxford’s Torch Relay Celebrations…  Gazing up at Motion Disabled: Unlimited, its monochromic greyness blending perfectly with this summer’s rain soaked sky, the meaning seemed both obvious and inscrutable. It was at once instantly recognisable and completely strange. … Neutrality in terms of colour and gender adds to the mystery and shockability of this work, making it both ordinary and striking at the same time.

And then Ramesh Meyappan’s Skewered Snails reviewed by Maggie Hampton here:

This was an hour of the most breathtaking, dramatic physical theatre….Straight away the hanging ropes were brought into use; the actors made them into doors, windows, trees, even beds. The story unfolded beautifully, everything crystal clear. There was not a movement or an expression too many. The costume and set design were understated and exactly right for the story. The music created the perfect atmosphere…. To me, Skewered Snails sums up what good theatre really is. It took me away into a fantasy world where I spent an awful, wonderful hour, anxious to know the outcome but not wanting it to end… Skewered Snails was what it was, a really, polished piece of theatre that worked brilliantly.

Maggie Hampton was busy, as she also reviewed Laurence Clark’s Inspired too, see it here:

Laurence does a great take on Inspiration, turning the whole thing upside down and inside out. As a disabled / deaf person myself, I know very well that rather bizarre pressure to be ‘inspiring’; on top of all the other rubbish we have to deal with, it is just one ask too many as far as I am concerned… I enjoyed the film clips where Laurence approached members of the public and told them how inspirational they were for doing ordinary, everyday things like holding a cup of coffee, or opening the door to the loo. The audience loved it. I could see them all rocking with laughter. I could actually feel everyone getting the jokes.

We’ve also found reviews for Rachel’s exhibition – Unlimited Global Alchemy – Ann Young caught this in Cambridge (here):

On entering the visual exhibition space, I was instantly struck by the energy and fluidity of the work on display. Gadsden is an artist that will not be still or want her subjects to be still. The constancy of change, of positive affirmation, surrounded me and I was overwhelmed by the quantity and diversity of work… It was a real privilege to attend this event and see the culmination of such a powerful residency … I would urge people to go and see the work and become immersed in a world full of beauty and resilience. This is a true celebration of the human spirit and what it means to be a disabled person in our world today.

There’s one on Jez Colborne’s Irresistible (here):

Jez was magnificent. There really is no other word for it. His voice is astounding by anyone’s standards and the range of styles he showcases and so clearly enjoys make for a set that is challenging and uplifting. Matching him with backing singers just makes him raise his game still further. They all blended seamlessly. Pure musicianship. Unlimited, the fund which commissioned Irresistible, was designed to stretch disabled creatives in this country as well as providing them with an opportunity to do what they’ve only ever dreamed of doing.  In this piece, we witness that stretch up close and personal.  In Irresistible – Call of the Sirens, Jez Colborne has bloomed from solo musician to the musical director of a whole piece.

And finally, for the moment, we’ve found one for Janice Parker’s Private Dancer (here):

Subtly mirroring real life, there is a lot about Private Dancer that is going on just out of sight; it’s happening behind doors, just around the corner or on the other side of the building. Having established this idea, however, Private Dancer then shifts the goalposts; for a few minutes, the audience is given an aerial view of what’s happening in the rooms courtesy of a television camera pointing down from above… Inventive, amusing and thoughtful, Private Dancer is a beautiful, immersive work.

Phew. Lots to read there – and lots to see if that whet’s your appetite!