The Journal Culture Awards 2021
Outstanding Contribution to North East Arts and Culture
Vici Wreford-Sinnott
Image description - a stage at Durham Cathedral, surrounded by carved stonework impressively lit, with a podium at the front and a large screen at the back projecting who is on stage. Councillor Amanda Hopgood from Durham County Council is in the background, a tall white woman with shoulder length blond hair, a black and white scarf and top, a long white jacket and black trousers with black patent shoes. Vici Wreford-Sinnott is standing at the podium speaking. She is a tall white woman in her fifties with teal hair. She is wearing a hot pink scarf, and a pink and black top with black trousers and silver shoes.
I was thrilled to receive this award and a number of people have asked me for copies of the few words I said afterwards.
Acceptance speech (content warning one mild swear word).
An audio description - I’m a tall white woman in my fifties with dyed teal hair and an old punk who has tried hard with the smart/casual dress code. I’ve forgotten my lipstick which would never happen on zoom, which is where I have lived for the last 18 months. This is a truly wonderful night, and I couldn’t miss it, so thank you to the organisers for making it so incredibly safe. It’s probably the last time I’ll be out for a little while so I would encourage all our regional venues and commissioners to continue to commission digital work and think about disabled audiences.
This is a truly wonderful honour. It was a very emotional day in our house when I received the news about this award. Complete disbelief. I had to check with Lesley about three times that there hadn’t been a mistake. Disabled artists are often in the shadows, or on the edges of our cultural world. A huge, huge thank you to the judges for this recognition. It really does mean a lot.
But my work doesn’t happen in isolation and is reliant on lots of other amazing disabled people, many from the Disability Arts movement. We work together as a collective, I’m very much a collectivist and very much about community. I thank each and every one of them for their work and their companionship over the years.
Many people have supported my work, I have been very lucky, and given me platforms to showcase new disabled characters in disabled stories told by disabled people but I do want to mention Annabel Turpin who has made a huge difference not only to my career, but to the careers and the welcome that disabled artists feel in the arts at ARC Stockton. ARC is a tremendous beacon of excellent diversity and equality practice not just for the region but nationally and internationally. I could not have achieved what I have without Annabel’s support.
My amazing family make everything possible, and make me happier than I could ever have dreamt. Thank you for allowing me to fill our house with clunky bits of set and costumes and for bearing with the dramas that come with creating drama. My husband and soul mate Shane, my wonderful children Max and Tilly, and my brilliant sister Alex who supports me immeasurably and tells me when I’m being an arse. Tilly will never forgive me if I don’t mention Monty the dog and all his artistic counselling over the years.
My mam and dad, who are no longer with us, were County Durham through and through, and this would thrill them. This is for them, and for disability rights movements across the world. Please open your doors, and your digital channels, to disabled artists – we’re not telling the truth about who we are as a society if the stories of disabled, by disabled people are missing.
Thank you so, so much.
Acceptance speech (content warning one mild swear word).
An audio description - I’m a tall white woman in my fifties with dyed teal hair and an old punk who has tried hard with the smart/casual dress code. I’ve forgotten my lipstick which would never happen on zoom, which is where I have lived for the last 18 months. This is a truly wonderful night, and I couldn’t miss it, so thank you to the organisers for making it so incredibly safe. It’s probably the last time I’ll be out for a little while so I would encourage all our regional venues and commissioners to continue to commission digital work and think about disabled audiences.
This is a truly wonderful honour. It was a very emotional day in our house when I received the news about this award. Complete disbelief. I had to check with Lesley about three times that there hadn’t been a mistake. Disabled artists are often in the shadows, or on the edges of our cultural world. A huge, huge thank you to the judges for this recognition. It really does mean a lot.
But my work doesn’t happen in isolation and is reliant on lots of other amazing disabled people, many from the Disability Arts movement. We work together as a collective, I’m very much a collectivist and very much about community. I thank each and every one of them for their work and their companionship over the years.
Many people have supported my work, I have been very lucky, and given me platforms to showcase new disabled characters in disabled stories told by disabled people but I do want to mention Annabel Turpin who has made a huge difference not only to my career, but to the careers and the welcome that disabled artists feel in the arts at ARC Stockton. ARC is a tremendous beacon of excellent diversity and equality practice not just for the region but nationally and internationally. I could not have achieved what I have without Annabel’s support.
My amazing family make everything possible, and make me happier than I could ever have dreamt. Thank you for allowing me to fill our house with clunky bits of set and costumes and for bearing with the dramas that come with creating drama. My husband and soul mate Shane, my wonderful children Max and Tilly, and my brilliant sister Alex who supports me immeasurably and tells me when I’m being an arse. Tilly will never forgive me if I don’t mention Monty the dog and all his artistic counselling over the years.
My mam and dad, who are no longer with us, were County Durham through and through, and this would thrill them. This is for them, and for disability rights movements across the world. Please open your doors, and your digital channels, to disabled artists – we’re not telling the truth about who we are as a society if the stories of disabled, by disabled people are missing.
Thank you so, so much.