A recorded panel talk discussing disability & identity ✨

Inspiring stories exploring disability & identity ✨

Disability Awareness Month is observed from November 14 to December 20 each year. This month-long period aims to increase awareness, promote inclusion, and highlight the achievements of people with disabilities.✊🏽

We are welcoming back some of your Halls Life favourite guests along with some inspiring new ones 🤩

 Our guest speakers below will deliver a monologue highlighting their journey, the challenges they’ve faced, and their unique insights into disability and identity 😌

📣 IMPORTANT CHANGE: Due to concerns about bad weather in London this week this event is taking on a new format, our wonderful guests will now be recording their monologues. Sign up through the Eventbrite link at the bottom of the page for a link to the final videos. 🙌

Eileen Eiffell (aka Ian Lilley) has become a regular sight on the Soho scene over the last few years, including a residency at one of London’s newest queer venues, Zodiac Bar.

Ian’s background is in Musical Theatre at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and has performed in various musicals, plays, films and adverts in the Uk and abroad. His in-ate need for attention (middle child) led him to the inevitable conclusion of Drag.

So why Eileen Eiffell? The day Ian moved to London in preparation to start at Mountview, he was hit by a car whose driver had blacked out behind the wheel. After being rushed to surgery, he awoke to be told his left leg was amputated below the knee. As far as they’re aware, Eileen is the only working amputee drag queen in Europe (maybe the world), so why not use that to inspire the name (think I lean, I fell…).

Forever legless.

Jennie Williams is the founder and CEO of Enhance the UK (ETUK), a user-led charity which helps people with physical and sensory disabilities to live a full life. She set it up after working in the care sector and becoming frustrated with the lack of practical information and support available for people who wanted to know more about communicating with disabled people both professionally and personally.

Jennie, who has degenerative hearing loss also wanted to encourage open conversation and education around sex and disability. The charity’s Undressing Disability campaign focuses on the sexual rights and responsibilities of disabled people. It includes the ‘Love Lounge’, podcasts, videos and books alongside an online forum for advice and answers regarding sex, dating and relationships for those with impairments.

Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini (she/they) is a multi-award-winning, bionic playwright, author and filmmaker of Nigerian heritage from London.

Matilda was selected as a Star of Tomorrow 2020 by Screen Daily Magazine; a feature film screenplay they co-wrote with Gabriel-Bisset Smith was selected as part of The Brit List 2020; they were an Arts Foundation Futures Award 2021 Finalist; a BFI Flare x BAFTA 2023 mentee; and Inevitable Foundation x Loreen Arbus Elevate Collective Award Grantee 2024.

As a playwright, Matilda’s debut play ‘Muscovado’ premiered in October 2014 and subsequently won the Alfred Fagon Audience Award 2015. They have written audio dramas for BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4 and Audible. Matilda’s next play 'Little Miss Burden’ premiered at the Bunker Theatre in 2019 and won a Popcorn Finalist Award 2020. Their last play ‘Sleepova’ premiered at the Bush Theatre 2023; won the 2024 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre and Most Promising Playwright Award at 2023 Critics' Circle Theatre Awards.

Screen credits include: BAFTA TV-Nominated ‘CripTales’ for BBC America & BBC4. ‘Unprecedented’ Series, Headlong & Century Films for BBC4, 'Head Over Wheels' a short film produced by Open Sky Theatre & Wrapt Films which won two awards at the 2021 Digital Culture Network Awards and ‘MO <3 KYRA’ a short film produced by Film4 and 104 Films debuted at BFI London Film Festival 2023. They co-wrote episode 4 on Amazon Prime’s drama-thriller series ‘Wilderness’ (2023) produced by Firebird Pictures. Matilda’s work has been staged at the Old Vic Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe, Royal Court Theatre, Soho Theatre and Vaults Festival.

Matilda has screen projects in development with BBC Films and Home Team.

Headshot description: Headshot of Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini. A Black person, wearing black glasses, a dark pink top with a multi-coloured headscarf with black braids spilling out and smiling to camera.

Ben Dean is co founder, co-owner and director of Raven Records - Camden's only heavy metal record and coffee shop, featuring the worlds first alcohol free metal bar. He is the Chairman of Church of Rational Satanism, founder of Satanic Recovery, an addiction recovery support group and author of Uncover Satan, Recover Thyself: A Rational Satanic Recovery.

Ben has been applying the Satanic philosophy to his life for over a decade now. He actively seeks to dispel the myths and stereotypes that surround Satanism by working with organisations such as the Human Library, a not for profit learning platform, and has appeared on BBC's Sunday Morning Live, as well as speaking with large corporations as part of their diversity training, these include TK Maxx, Tesco Bank, Ebay, BooHoo, Heineken and Google. In addition, Ben has spoken at universities all over the UK on the subject of Satanism. He has also given talks at occult bookshop Atlantis and on the subject of hell for the launch of Christian sci-fi novel Complete Darkness by Matt Adcock.

Ben is a recovering alcoholic with 17 years of sobriety under his belt, he also has a range of neurodivergent diagnosis including Dyslexia, ADHD, EUPD, Pure O (OCD) and is awaiting an Autism assessment/diagnosis.

Accessibility

- BSL interpreter can be provided for, please contact us directly ASAP hallslife@arts.ac.uk

- Captions will be put on to all videos and a transcript of the recording also sent

This is open to all UAL students ✨ Sign up through the Eventbrite link below for a link to the final videos. 🙌