Rules & Boundaries by Clair Lewis (now Mx Dennis Queen)
Song written and performed by Clair Lewis now Mx Dennis Queen.
Rules & Boundaries
your rules and boundaries
are inaccessible to me
I will try my best,
but it's hard to do
what I don't 'get'
it just makes no sense to me
just makes no sense to me
all it's achieved is worry in me.
it's really so much easier
when you're including me
til you brought them rules up,
I was set to succeed.
I put on my pretty dress
try to behave my best
no-one was convinced
surrounded by friends
feeling like an alien
where'd ya get
that stupid rule?
where'd ya get
that stupid rule?
don't you realise that's a bit like
asking blind people to see?!
it's really so much easier
when you're including me
til you brought them rules up,
I was set to succeed.
it really would be easier
if you just accepted me
it might be obvious to you
but this is nonsense to me
I couldn't live up to your rules
and I made myself the fool
when I should've had fun
and I could’ve had fun
just like everyone
I cannot be someone else
I cannot be someone else
until I felt unwelcome
I would've been fine
but I was like a stuck record all night.
it's really so much easier
when you're including me
til you brought them rules up,
I was set to succeed.
it really would be easier
if you just accepted me
but you set me up to fail
and then put all the blame on me.
soooooo
I will NOT watch what I say
I will not watch what I say
if you can't handle me
don't fuckin ask me round to play
I'll gladly be out of your way
Incredible Shrinkin’ Man
Song written and performed by Ian Stanton.
Incredible Shrinkin’ Man
Panic in the bedroom, panic on the stairs,
that's not day by day.
Where does it all begin, Why should I care?
Do you ever dream of yesterday?
Small knives cut deeper sometimes than any sword or spear,
Mind screams for somewhere else, but your body's chained, your body's chained your body’s chained to here.
It's a conversation, it's a work of art, it's just words you say.
Never quite a question, always quite apart, there's no other way.
One word is early warning?? Stings you use to hear,
Mind screams for somewhere else, but your body's chained, your body's chained your body’s chained to here.
Takes a toll on the spirit and soul when you're living in the land
the incredible shrinkin', the incredible shrinkin', the incredible shrinkin’ man.
Cosy little dolls house, but not for everyone, just the chosen few.
Someone thinks they’ve found you a place where you belong,
that's their point of view.
Just fade away in time, and simply disappear
Mind screams for somewhere else, but your body's chained, your body's chained your body’s chained to here.
Takes a toll on spirit and soul when you know you understand,
The incredible shrinkin', the incredible shrinkin', the incredible shrinkin’ man.
I can talk to you, you understand.
I can talk to you, you understand.
Knew, I can talk to you..
To Our Warriors
Poem written and performed by Sue Napolitano.
To Our Warriors
We have our warriors
battling with society
and disease.
We carry our scars
on our bodies and in our hearts.
The deepest hurts are when we turn
the knives of the oppressor
against each other.
We lose too many of our warriors too soon.
With too many years unlived,
too many battles unwon.
And yet each one's fight
Moves us all forward.
Brings closer the day when
the doors of all the day centres, homes, hostels,
special thises and thats
will clatter empty in the wind.
The day when we will all be free.
So rest easy my sisters and brothers.
Lie peaceful in the earth
or scattered in the air.
Your rage on earth blew up a storm.
We will inherit your thunder, your lightning,
Your love.
We will fight on.
British Sign Language Recognition March And Rally, London - July 2000
About
This photo shows staff and members of Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People’s Young Disabled People’s Forum being interviewed by the media.
The photo shows the group at the rally on 8 July in Trafalgar Square, London, following a march calling for the recognition of British Sign Language as an official language. A campaign which spanned the late 1990s and early 2000s. BSL was finally recognised as a language in March 2003.
Identified people in the group being interviewed: Elliot Thompson (wheelchair user in a green jumper) and GMCDP workers Audrey Stanton (in a light blue shirt) and to her right Maureen Day. At the back is GMCDP member Mike Marrow.
Description
A colour photo.
There are buildings in the background with the iconic lion statues. A large group of people are milling around.
In the foreground is a TV crew interviewing a group of disabled people.
Left to right: someone holding a boom microphone over the interviewees, a camera operator and camera plus others sitting, standing and crouching. 7 People are in the group being interviewed. Including: Elliot Thompson, a wheelchair user in a green jumper, GMCDP workers Audrey Stanton, in a light blue shirt and to her right Maureen Day.
Independence Festival Manchester - 1999
About
This photo, from 3 July 1999, shows the band Heart n’ Soul performing on stage in Albert Square during the afternoon of the Independence Festival. A British Sign Language Interpreter and audio technicians are also on the stage with the band.
The Independence Festivals were annual national events from 1997 to 2001 celebrating disabled people’s lives and culture. The first 3 were held in Manchester, followed by Birmingham in 2000 and Leeds in 2001. The festivals in Manchester were held in Albert Square and the Town Hall. They were made up of an outside daytime event with a stage for performance, market stalls for organisations and workshops, followed by an indoors evening performance.
Identifiable people
Keith Stephens walking towards the camera. Stephen Bridges to the left of centre with his back to the camera.
Description
A band are on a stage in a covered marquee. There are 13 people on stage including musicians, singers, a sign language interpreter and people working at the side of the stage, possibly on a mixing desk. A drum kit, and possibly a keyboard player are visible at the back of the stage. There are other types of drums visible.
To the left of the marquee is the American flag. The stage is lined with bunting. In front of the stage a number of the audience are visible including in the centre Keith Stephens walking towards the camera. Stephen Bridges is to the left of centre with his back to the camera.
Behind the marquee are the trees in Albert Square.
Accessible Parking Protest, Dale Street, Liverpool - 1994
About
This demonstration was held on Dale Street in Liverpool. It was highlighting the lack of designated parking facilities for disabled people in the city centre.
Identified people. Alan Holdsworth on the ground. To the far left of the photo are disabled activists Lynn Warburton and Natalie Markham (with her hands on her hips).
Description
A colour photo.
A large crowd of on-lookers are on the pavement watching Alan Holdsworth lying on the ground with 2 police officers holding his arms. Next to him is his empty wheelchair.
Leeds Train Station Sensory Garden Protest - 1994
About
In 1994 a sensory garden was created at the side of Leeds train station. The opening was performed by celebrity Jimmy Saville. This photo is from the opening. Disabled people were protesting because money had been spent creating a garden while the train station was still not accessible.
Identified people
Front and centre Sharon Mace (later Rowen Jade) being pushed in her wheelchair. Behind and to the right of Sharon is Katherine Araniello. Towards the back of the procession on the right is Alan Holdsworth.
Description
A black and white photo.
A crowd of around 20 people, some wheelchair users, moving in a procession away from the railway station. Front and centre is Sharon Mace (later Rowen Jade) being pushed in her wheelchair. A placard attached to her wheelchair says ‘Civil Rights Now’ in block capitals.
In the background of the photo is a series of buildings and the entrance to Leeds train station. A sign for British Rail has the logo which is like two passing train lines with the words British Rail.
Children in Need, Leeds - 1991
About
This protest was outside the BBC Studio in Leeds. It was in opposition to the Children in Need event, part of which was being filmed in the studio. Children in Need is an annual fund-raising event organised by the BBC. Disabled people object to the imagery and language used which makes disabled children an object of pity.
Description
A black and white photo.
There are 4 people, two in the main focus of the photo. Both people are holding placards, the top placard is held by a person in the background and says ‘Charity Puts Us Down’ in block capitals. The person at the front, wearing a flat cap and gloves, is holding a piece of paper saying ‘Wages Not Charity’ .
To the left you can just see the outline of a person holding a placard which should say ‘Decent Wages Not Charity’, you can only see cent ges ot rity.
To the right is half of the face of another person.
Disability Consortium Rally, Manchester - 1990
About
Over 500 people gathered in Albert Square, Manchester, for this rally on 27 October 1990. It was one of three rallies organised on the same day calling for a better benefits system for disabled people. Gill Crawshaw is sitting on the ground under the Armley Resource Centre banner.
Description
A black and white photo.
A view of a large crowd of people in Albert Square, Manchester; around the Albert memorial statue. Most of the crowd are looking to the left of the photo. On the far right is a banner which says ‘Armley Resource Centre Leeds’, only the letters ‘Armle Resour Centr Leed’ are visible.
There is a mix of people standing and sitting on the ground or in wheelchairs. some are holding banners and placards but the writing is not visible in the photo.
First Telethon Protest, London - 1990
About
This photo is from the first protest against Telethon, on 27 May 1990. It was held outside London Weekend Television studio, South Bank, London, where the programme was being filmed. To the right of the Birmingham banner are Sian Vasey and Vic Finkelstein.
Telethon was a nationally broadcasted fund-raising programme, similar to the BBC’s Children in Need. Disabled people objected to the use of images and language that made disabled people and others the objects of pity. The programme also raised money for international charities and used similar footage from other countries.
Description
A colour photo. 14 people are spread out in a line on the pavement in front of tall metal fencing. Beyond the fence is a car park with a building behind it.
Banners and placards are placed on and against the metal fencing. Identifiable banners, left to right:
‘Birmingham Disability Rights Group’ on a white sheet in multi-coloured block capitals. Birmingham in purple, disability rights in red.
Off centre right ‘Armley Resource Centre’ in red block capitals on a blue background.
Far right ‘Winvisible’, with writing and a logo which are difficult to see. The logo is a circle around a stick figure and a woman symbol. The banner is green with black writing and logo.
Partially visible above the Winvisible banner. A blue background with black letters ‘brave spec’ and ‘but angry’ in red. Then ‘at to p’ with the rest plus another full line obscured.
There are placards attached to the fence.
Above and to the right of the Birmingham banner. ‘We Demand Rights Not Charity’, in multi-coloured letters on a white background.
Between Armley and Winvisible. ‘Don’t Call Us We’ll Call You’, in black block capitals on cardboard.