Inclusive Sport & Cultural Festival

Influential figures in disability arts, accessibility and inclusive culture have been brought together to help support the cultural programme for the Inclusive Sport and Culture Festival (ISCF) that will take place in Liverpool next year.

The newly formed Cultural Advisory Group will play a central role in developing the festival's £1 million Arts Council England supported disabled-led cultural programme, ensuring it is artistically ambitious, accessible and authentically informed by disabled artists, creatives and cultural leaders.

The Cultural Advisory Group is chaired by internationally recognised sculptor and disability arts pioneer Tony Heaton OBE (pictured above); award-winning writer and comedian Laurence Clark; acclaimed disabled writer and Chair of DaDa, Mandy Redvers-Rowe; leading accessibility consultant Kate Fox; Creative Director of UnMute and access consultant Andrew Lansley; Stagetext's Head of Advocacy and Engagement Rachel Jele; and soprano and arts advocate Bethan Langford.

Their collective experience will inform a programme that places disabled-led creativity at the heart of one of the UK's most ambitious inclusive festivals, being held from May 2 to 8, 2027.

The programme is being devised by acclaimed Creative Director Bev Ayre, supported by programme advisor Zoe Partington, a leader and consultant in cultural inclusion and access, to bring culture and sport together as one experience.

Through ambitious new commissions, performances, installations and international competition, the festival aims to create lasting opportunities for disabled people while driving meaningful social impact long after the festival has ended.

Core funding includes a £2.3 million National Lottery contribution alongside a £1 million grant from Arts Council England.

“The Inclusive Sport and Culture Festival is about creating something genuinely different,” said Bev Ayre, Creative Director of the Inclusive Sport and Culture Festival.

“We're bringing together outstanding artists, practitioners, accessibility specialists and advocates whose expertise and lived experience will help shape a cultural programme that is bold, ambitious and rooted in inclusion from the very beginning.

“The strength of this group lies in the breadth of experience around the table. Together they bring artistic excellence, lived experience and an unwavering commitment to accessibility, ensuring disabled voices are not simply represented but are helping lead and shape the festival from the outset.

“The cultural programme will be every bit as ambitious as the sporting programme. By bringing together leaders from across disability arts and inclusive culture, we're creating something that has the potential to influence how major events are designed and delivered long after the festival has ended.”

The appointment of the Cultural Advisory Group marks the first in a series of major announcements for the Inclusive Sport and Culture Festival. Over the coming months, the festival will unveil its artistic programme, headline commissions, participating artists and cultural experiences, building towards one of the UK's most exciting celebrations of disabled-led culture.

For more information & to register your interest in tickets visit:

http://iscfestival.co.uk/