London 2012 blog

Before joining London 2012 I had two linked careers, one as an arts manager and one as a practitioner - I DJ and used to manage bands. As you can imagine I've had some great experiences travelling from gig to gig, festival to festival. Playing Trafalgar Square with a huge Creative Routes ensemble- an organisation that puts on events by mental health service users. This was fantastic, performing a song with the repeated refrain '**** psychiatry', which debates alternative approaches to mental health. As you can see I have a strong passion for disability and the arts.

As a Disability Cultural Associate I will be focusing on developing the project 'Extraordinary Abilities', which is one of the major projects of the Cultural Olympiad. This will be a four year celebration of disability arts, culture and sport. The project is in its early stages and there is a lot to be done in different work areas such as creating the infrastructure, writing the business plan, agreeing funders and delivery partners, consultation with the different groups that want to get involved and working out a communications strategy. 'Extraordinary Abilities' is a working title - any suggestions of a name to replace it will be most welcome.

In between this all this work it has been interesting shadowing Steve Mannix to a few meetings. There has also been the welcome diversion of working with Mary Genis a Clore leadership fellow, on the launch of the Cultural Olympiad.

Although my creative work is largely on hold during this placement, my past experiences inform the planning process of 'Extraordinary Abilities'.  As an arts manager I have been on the staff of London Disability Arts Forum and Mental Health Media and am currently on the board of Core Arts, which promotes the artistic and creative abilities of people who experience serious and enduring mental health problems.

My artistic work comes from a background in sound and playing the electric violin. Last year I worked with Platform for Art to produce a project which took site specific sound installations into tube stations and recently I have been commissioned by Historic Royal Palaces, Graeae Theatre Company and Half Moon Young People's Theatre to compose music for productions and events.

I wanted to be a part of the Cultural Olympiad because it has the potential to be a breakthrough opportunity for disability arts and disabled artists. If all goes to plan 'Extraordinary Abilities' will be the largest programme of arts and sporting activity by disabled people ever produced in the UK. It is enormously exciting to be involved with this project; the possibilities it will create for disabled people and the way it could open the world's eyes is extraordinary.