Festival celebrates deaf and disabled artists

The event in Croydon is predominately free and family friendly

An annual festival celebrating deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists is taking place in south London.

The three-day event, which ends on Sunday, is curated by charity Drunken Chorus and is London's flagship disability arts festival.

Liberty Festival features stand-up comedy, inclusive fitness workouts and immersive theatre.

The event takes place in Croydon as part of the 'This is Croydon: London Borough of Culture Festival'.

Jess Thom, an artist and writer who is the co-artistic director of Touretteshero, a project aimed at increasing awareness of Tourette syndrome, is one of the performers at the festival.

She told the BBC: "We are showcasing a new piece of work at the Liberty festival called 'Journey to a better world' that is a space-themed installation for children and adults.

"It came from my experience shielding during the Covid pandemic, managing that time as a disabled person is like being on a long and unpredictable journey just like going to space is."

Talking about the importance of the festival, Ms Thom said it was "really necessary to have a space that centres on disabled children and provides them with an opportunity to be creative and be part of a community."

Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon, said the festival was an "opportunity to shine a spotlight" on these performers and "showcases belonging and pride for all communities within the borough and beyond".

The festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

An inclusive high intensity interval workout will take place at the festival

All of the performers at the festival are deaf, disabled or neurodivergent

One performer told the BBC she hopes the event will create a "community for disabled people"

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