Disabled-led arts organisation Disability Arts Online (DAO) is pleased to announce the six aspiring arts writers who will be supported through its Diverse Critics programme this year.
Diverse Critics Session One Photo (credit Disability Arts Online).
Now in its third instalment, Diverse Critics is a career development programme for writers who are disabled and/or Black and people of colour (BPOC). Since 2020, it has supported the careers of 18 writers based in Scotland, with bursaries, training, mentoring and publishing opportunities. The programme aims to add to the diversity of skilled voices available to critique and comment on arts and culture in Scotland.
The six writers, who were selected from a wealth of applications, are:
- Shivam Chowdhary from St. Andrews
- Michael Fellowes from Dunbar
- Malcolm Kyeyune from Edinburgh
- Haneul Lee from Edinburgh
- Fiona Moon from Glasgow
- Oren Shoesmith from Glasgow
Over the coming months the writers will attend workshops covering topics such as developing their writing, how to pitch and managing a portfolio career. They will also gain networking opportunities with editors to develop their contacts as arts writers.
Colin Hambrook, Editor at Disability Arts Online, commented: “Disability Arts Online is so excited to be working with this brilliant, enthusiastic and truly diverse cohort of writers. Diverse Critics is a programme that so closely aligns with our organisational vision, mission and values. I founded Disability Arts Online as a platform for disabled artists to have their work critiqued and discussed from informed perspectives. It’s a real privilege for us to be part of these writers’ career development and to contribute to a richer and more diverse cultural conversation in Scotland and beyond. It’s also a pleasure to continue our established partnership with Creative Scotland and The Skinny. I can’t wait to see the work everyone creates."
Disability Arts Online is an arts charity led by disabled people which publishes one of the foremost digital magazines focused on disability arts and culture. DAO brings a wealth of talent and career development expertise to the programme, having successfully run several programmes which have supported the careers of disabled writers. Disability Arts Online delivers the training and mentoring, alongside experienced co-facilitator Titilayo Farukouye (Scottish BPOC Writers Network).
The Diverse Critics programme is delivered by Disability Arts Online in partnership with The Skinny and is supported by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland.
Introducing this year’s Diverse Critics cohort:
Shivam Chowdhary is a film critic and cultural writer with a particular focus in the intersection of Gen-Z aesthetics and contemporary media. He is a member of the British Board of Film Classification Youth Panel, where he contributes to discussions on age-appropriate content legislation in the UK. Most recently, he was selected for the BFI London Film Festival Critics programme as a mentee, gaining professional experience in film criticism and analysis. His work examines how Gen-Z cultural trends and aesthetics shape and are shaped by film and media, with the themes of representation and identity being at the crux of his work. He is based in St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland.
Shivam said: “I was eager and extremely grateful to be selected for this programme to deepen my film writing skills and bring a fresh perspective as a person of colour operating within neurodivergent and queer spaces. It’s such a unique opportunity to engage critically with cinema whilst simultaneously amplifying diverse emerging voices in the industry!”
Michael Fellowes is deaf and is committed to inclusion into society for disabled and D/deaf people. He ran disability and D/deaf arts projects with ‘The Audience Agency’, ‘Shape Arts London’ and ‘DaDaFest’. He trains adults in EDI with Sunsurfer Consultancy. Between 2021-2024 he served on Creative Scotland’s Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion group. Michael trains Scotland’s Mental Health First Aid (SMHFA) and England (MHFA). He is a science fiction and fantasy writer with a published short story in Revolutions 2 and his first novel Scarlet and the White – with Black, neurodiverse and deaf characters – is with agents and publishers.
Michael said: “I wanted to join Diverse Critics as an opportunity to develop my art critical thinking and writing in the intersections between disability and BPoC.”
Malcolm Kyeyune is an aspiring journalist with a keen interest in all aspects of art. A former writer and music editor for NPN zine and Seeds zine, his writing spans a broad range of topics, including social issues, arts criticism, and music and theatre reviews, among others.
Malcolm said: “I am eager to engage with audiences across various platforms and mediums, which is why I was drawn to the program’s diverse approach to journalism, particularly its inclusion of emerging forms of arts criticism such as vlogs and podcasts.”
Fiona Moon is a writer, theatre maker and arts facilitator based in Glasgow, with an MA from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and a strong background in arts outreach and community work. She uses story to bring people together, interrogate big questions, find creative solutions to problems, and foster feelings of identity and belonging. Her work is underpinned by her core values (curiosity, connection, play, authenticity, inclusion) and informed by her lived experience of health conditions, survivorship and neurodivergence. She is particularly interested in trauma informed practice, and opening up conversations around trauma and access in the arts. Her work has been short and long listed for The Bush Theatre, Mslexia Poetry Prize, Bread and Roses New Writing Award, Butchers Dog and more, and she has written for publications including Arts Professional, PTSD UK and Culture, Health & Wellbeing Alliance.
Fiona said: “The programme provides vital skills and a platform to become key voices in furthering conversations around access in the arts in its broadest sense. The more people there are advocating for changes, the more representative the sector can become. I’m excited to undertake this under the guidance of The Skinny and Disability Arts Online; two organisations whose work resonates with and excites me so much.”
Haneul Lee is an emerging creative and critic with a background in media sociology and community arts. Driven by a passion for accessible, inclusive storytelling, Haneul’s work often explores underrepresented voices and alternative narratives in the arts. Their recent experience spans roles from creative facilitation at Capital Theatres to communications at a disabled access charity. With a love for horror and mystery literature, particularly of the Shirley Jackson kind, Haneul is excited to broaden their critical lens and contribute fresh perspectives to Scotland’s cultural scene through the Diverse Critics Programme.
Haneul said: “As a disabled woman of colour, I joined this programme because of its commitment to intersectionality in arts journalism and criticism. My lived experience bleeds into my work, and I’m eager to learn from others with a wealth of insights into these intersections to further enrich my writing.”
Oren Shoesmith is an artist and mystic living in Glasgow, originally from Cornwall. He works in an entangled way between clay, poetry, performance and film, and is interested in the sacred potential of the political devient. Artist-led organising is also an integral part of Oren’s practice, focussing on collaborative community building for collective liberation.
Recent commissions include Corpores Infames: Disreputable Bodies for Glasgow International in collaboration with Belladonna Paloma and Rabindranath X Bhose, and The Root is Still in the Ground for Sticky Fingers’ writing anthology On Crip Time.
Oren said: “I’m very excited to be a part of the Diverse Critics 24/25 cohort! I am especially looking forward to exploring a disabled-centred and decolonial approach to art journalism and to get to know the practices of like-minded writers.”
Background
About Disability Arts Online
Disability Arts Online (DAO) is a charitable arts organisation led by disabled people. We serve artists and arts audiences who face disabling barriers and, in doing so, enable social change. We occupy a unique global position with our website showcasing disability arts content, artist development programme, partnership work, accessible events and vibrant community of disabled creatives.
Our mission is to champion disability arts and culture by nurturing creativity, connection and critique. Established in 2004, DAO has a rich history of challenging dominant narratives from a disability-led position in order to support sector change. We recognise that disability is an intersectional experience that can be isolating. Through our work, we create empowering opportunities for marginalised voices to be appreciated and understood. Disability Arts Online’s work is supported by Arts Council England and Paul Hamlyn Foundation
Find out more at www.disabilityarts.online
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports culture and creativity across all parts of Scotland, distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery, which, now in its 30th year, has supported over 14,600 projects with more than £501.9 million in funding through Creative Scotland and its predecessor, the Scottish Arts Council. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot.
Media contact
For all media enquiries, including image and interview requests, please contact Disability Arts Online’s communications team at [email protected] or call 07944 732548.