Artistic Director: Jamie Hale

Creating accessible art in the face of disablist barriers is itself an act of loving revolution, and I want to bring this surging through theatre, changing it forever.
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This is the back of an artist announcement card for Jamie Hale. The design is styled on an American baseball card. The card has a thin white border. At the top of the card, there is a thick black band with the artist name, Jamie, and a description of their role in CRIPtic, as Artistic Director. Below this, there is a black and white portrait photograph of Jamie. In it, Jamie has cropped hair, bleached blonde and longer on top. They have a round face and are wearing glasses and a black shirt. Their head is on their wheelchair headrest. They emerge from the bushes like a queer forest creature. Below the photo, there is a large black and white logo which reads CRIPtic.

What made you want to be an artist / performer?

I have always felt compelled to create work – starting from poetry and moving to building my solo show. Having been lucky enough to stage that in the Pit at the Barbican in 2019, I moved to building CRIPtic Arts as an organisation. I have benefited so much from the support I have received – but I also know that there are very few opportunities out there for deaf and disabled theatre creatives. I wanted to use my platform and connections to create these opportunities for other people.

What/who inspires your craft?

My work is inspired by the people before me – people like Jenny Sealey and Nabil Shaban, leaders like Robert Softley Gale, and the performers I am working with now. Deaf and disabled people trying to move into theatre still face countless barriers – but far fewer than those faced by previous generations of deaf and disabled people.

What’s your vision for the future of theatre and where do you see yourself going after CRIPtic?

I don’t yet see an “after CRIPtic” – for me the organisation goes far beyond this showcase, but I want it to be central to the future of theatre. It is deaf and disabled-led arts organisations that are carving new paths with accessible work. Every time I do a production, I learn more, and I want to find ways of keeping sharing that learning.

Creating accessible art in the face of disablist barriers is itself an act of loving revolution, and I want to bring this surging through theatre, changing it forever.