On the square: Liberty 2010 reviewed

In the shadow of Nelson's Column in London's Trafalgar Square, Penny Pepper took a tour of the attractions on offer at this year's disability arts fest

The weather was kind to Liberty 2010, apart from the odd smattering of drizzle and this meant in the first instance hordes of tourists could be relied upon to congregate, and secondly, it makes for a whole different atmosphere for the performers.

One of the difficulties with the festival is that many of the performances happen simultaneously. I scooted around in a loose clockwork fashion, sampling as many as I could. I started with some young singers from the Orpheus Centre on the main stage. A tough early slot, though the crowds were pleased and the singing was decent enough, particularly the male lead. One small criticism; why the dull dressing down in black?

Cheering on the redoubtable Rhinestone Rollers for fun line dancing through the ages from a wheelchair, I was encouraged to see the crowds joining in when urged. And a good giggle was had by all. I was filled with some optimism in seeing the long drop of steps and beyond, lined with many different folk being led by a disabled dance troupe and enjoying every minute.

I edged my way back to the main stage to see what was a definite highlight of the day, Graeae’s taster of the forthcoming Reasons to Be Cheerful, a musical theatre piece using the lyrics of Ian Dury. With tight musical accompaniment and tremendous palpable energy, the several cast members dressed in post-punk sleazy glam blasted away any hints of rain.

I caught some of the comedy/spoken word in the swish cabaret tent space. Keith Currie was a superb poet and deserved a better response than he got from the indifferent early arrivals. Others, including CoolTan Poets, fared better but this is not an appropriate space for the more traditional type of poetry reading, particularly when scheduled alongside high energy comedy blasts including cheeky chat delivery from Steve Day and reliable crip sharp silliness from Liz Carr as MC.

There was a great vibe this year at Liberty, from the crowds, and from the performances. As with much work defined as “disability art” it is hard to know what Liberty is, where it sits – or indeed if we need to pin it down to be anything.

I felt pride in sharing the event with disabled people I know and disabled people I don’t – and in simply being there and enjoying a varied range of entertainment with large numbers of disabled people and non-disabled people. It is difficult to say what “people” – away from those of us linked consciously to a sense of the disability movement – make of it all. But from what I saw and felt, I believe this Liberty succeeded more than ever in retaining a broad crip identity while entertaining the general throng.