Claire Cunningham
in Choreography, Dance, Disability Arts, Scottish Theatre
12th December 2019
INTERVIEW: CLAIRE CUNNINGHAM. Having a physical impairment since birth, Claire Cunningham spent her formative years wishing she could divert attention from her body. Having trained as a classical singer, she discovered a confidence on stage that she lacked in everyday life. But it was only when she made the unexpected switch to dance that she embraced her physicality and her use of crutches to create a choreography that celebrated disability. Talking to Mark Fisher, she explains why she defines herself as a disabled artist, what it was like to make the transition from music to theatre and why she thinks we are missing out by overlooking the creativity of disabled artists. Recorded on 18 October 2019.
“My work wouldn’t be the work it is if I wasn’t disabled. It’s inherently who I am and it does inform the work I make. To say that you don’t see it is trying to eradicate something that’s quite essential”
