Festival Spotlight Falls on Accessible Sport

A new documentary created by disabled young people from Glasgow will premiere as part of the Glasgow 2026 Festival.

Celebrating the athletes, coaches and volunteers who are helping make sport more accessible, inclusive and transformative across the city, the film will be screened as part of a ten-week celebration of Glasgow’s world-renowned culture, creativity and people.

Produced by disability arts charity Speech Bubble Drama, Gamechangers follows the stories of young disabled people whose involvement in sport has improved their physical and mental wellbeing, expanded their social networks and opened up new opportunities for personal and professional development.

The documentary has been developed by Speech Bubble’s young filmmakers as part of the organisation’s ongoing film programme, which has been running since 2020. This year, participants chose documentary filmmaking as their focus and quickly identified disability sport as a subject they felt deserved greater visibility during the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games summer.

The film explores a variety of sports and activities available to disabled people throughout Glasgow, while highlighting the individuals who are not only benefiting from participation but helping to reshape sport itself for future generations.

“With the Commonwealth Games bringing people together from across the world, this felt like the perfect moment to showcase some of the inspiring activity happening here in the city and to celebrate the people who are making sport more inclusive,” said Jennifer Cassidy, Chief Executive Officer at Speech Bubble Drama.

“One of the strongest messages from the film is that disability is not a barrier to sport. Across Glasgow there are opportunities for disabled people to take part in activities that offer far more than sporting achievement.”

“Clubs and organisations provide friendship, acceptance, community, confidence and opportunities. We hope audiences leave feeling inspired by the people in the film and encouraged to find out more about what's available.”

As the filmmakers began researching the documentary, a common theme emerged. The stories they encountered revealed not only the positive impact sport had on participants' lives, but also how many were becoming advocates, role models and changemakers within their communities.

The film explores how sporting opportunities can improve physical health, mental wellbeing and confidence while creating friendships, fostering community and even opening pathways into education and employment.

According to Scottish Disability Sport research, 95 per cent of respondents reported that taking part in physical activity benefited their health. Despite this, almost one in five disabled people surveyed reported doing no physical activity at all, highlighting the importance of increasing access and awareness of sporting opportunities.

Gamechangers will be screened at 2pm on July 26 at The Boardwalk, Glasgow. To find out more visit https://www.glasgow2026.com/get-involved/about-festival