DaDa Return With Their Annual Social Justice Lecture By Multidisiplinary Artist Ashokkumar D Mistry

Liverpool based arts organisation DaDa return in December with their annual Edward Rushton Social Justice Lecture which takes place at Museum of Liverpool on Sunday, 3 December from 1-3pm, held on United Nations International Day for People with Disabilities and named after the local poet, activist, abolitionist, and disabled man, Edward Rushton.

This year, the insightful and influential disabled artist Ashokkumar D Mistry will be exploring ‘Reclaiming Nonchalance', a lecture challenging art world values to envisage the worth of Deaf Disabled and Neurodivergent artists working in their essential state. This year's lecture addresses the mechanisms for valuing people, valuing everyone.

Reclaiming Nonchalance is an invitation to activate ambition through the self-care of actively thinking beyond other people's expectations. The lecture will dissect artworld mechanics and interrogate how Deaf Disabled and Neurodivergent artists are valued.

Ashokkumar said “We don't want to have to be activists - however, it's existential - instead, we want disabled artists to be able to make art that doesn't exist to be worthy but ploughs its own course and the nonchalance of its substance is taken at face value”.

Ashok will be joined by panelists Kai Syng Tan (Artist / Agitator / Professor), Sonia Boué (Artist / Writer / Consultant) and Dr Linzi Stauvers (Acting Artistic Director, Education, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham) to discuss the topic. The lecture is presented in conjunction with Disability Arts Online and will also be live streamed on the day and then made available on demand.

Rachel Rogers and Ngozi Ugochukwu for DaDa said: “We return this year with our Edward Rushton Social Justice Lecture, and we are thrilled that our keynote speaker is the perceptive and provocative artist, writer, researcher, activist & curator, Ashokkumar D Mistry.

“His research scrutinises differences to expand our understanding of the human condition that includes impairment and disability.

“We are thankful for the support of Museum of Liverpool and to collaborate with Disability Arts Online to host the event. We welcome everyone to come along to this free and penetrating lecture given by wonderfully astute speakers, highlighting disability as a social justice issue that all of society needs to address.”