Steph Niciu is a freelance journalist. She has a particular interest in the arts and entertainment. Previously she has written a monthly arts column in the Southport Visiter, which covered local arts and theatre shows in the area and beyond, and she has been a contributor for music blog Getintothis, writing gig reviews and features including one piece that looked at wheelchair accessibility in Liverpool gig venues. In her spare time, Steph enjoys going to gigs and Lantern Writers, a Liverpool-based writing group.
Posts by Steph Niciu
Moving beyond misunderstandings of the other side
January 4, 2021Gold Maria Akanbi is a British-Nigerian multi-disciplinary artist, who is neurodiverse. The Misunderstandings of the Other Side was commissioned to feature as part of DaDaFest Translations. The video piece explores Gold's relationship with the world and other people as someone who has Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The artist talks to ...
I Was Naked, Smelling of Rain
December 7, 2020For the first time in its history, DaDaFest conducted its festival completely online. Steph Niciu reviews an event from day five of DaDaFest’s Translations – Aidan Moesby’s premiere event for I Was Naked, Smelling of Rain, which took place over Zoom on 1 December. Before we saw Moesby’s piece, there was ...
Kaleidoscope Festival: Encounters: D/deaf Short Films
October 11, 2019Chester’s Kaleidoscope Festival showcased a screening of short films from Australia, Belgium, Denmark and the UK on 2 October, with an aim of normalising onscreen D/deafness. Steph Niciu went to find out more. *Spoiler Alert* This review contains plot information about the following films: The Last Time I Saw You by ...
Elektric Apple bring Mr Dead Head to life
April 26, 2019Liverpool- based theatre company Elektric Apple are making their professional debut at Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August with their show Dear Mr Dead Head. Steph Niciu talks to the company about their show and how they want to use it to challenge perceptions of people with learning disabilities. Elektric Apple is ...
DaDaFest: Allan Sutherland and DAO on the merits of gaining a disability identity
December 7, 2018As part of DaDaFest and to mark the International Day of Disabled People, Disability Arts Online put on the event 'Are we living in an era of post-Disability Art?' at the Bluecoat in Liverpool. Steph Niciu went to find out more. Disability Arts is a Movement that provokes a lot of ...
Rethinking Disability – time for change within the Museum
March 13, 2018Accentuate’s project History of Place held its ‘Rethinking Disability’ symposium at the Museum of Liverpool on March 9th, to discuss what needs to change in museums and galleries when it comes to disability representation in the museum sector. Steph Niciu reflects on the afternoon and how it got her thinking ...
The Blind School: Pioneering People and Places
February 2, 2018The Blind School: Pioneering People and Places focuses on the Royal School of the Blind, the UK’s first school for blind people, and delves into its history using a range of personal stories and objects. The exhibition is being held at the Museum of Liverpool 26 January – 15 April ...
DaDaFest explore the impact disability arts has had on Merseyside on the anniversary of the Bluecoat’s 300th year
September 26, 2017DaDaFest hosted the symposium Disability Art: Past, Present and Possibilities on 22 September as part of the Bluecoat’s 300th anniversary celebrations. The event explored a variety of aspects including the history and impact of DaDaFest, how disabled people are viewed by society, and the way in which Disability Arts has ...
Cartoonopolis: the 27-character, one-man show with important lessons about autism
July 4, 2017Cartoonopolis is an imaginary world created by Jack Bray, who has autism, as a way of making sense of his emotions and the world around him. Lewis, his older brother, brought Cartoonopolis to life at the Unity Theatre in Liverpool 20-21 June 2017, as part of his nationwide tour. Review ...
Cartoonopolis: a magical world brought from the back garden to the stage
April 27, 2017Actor and writer Lewis Bray is currently touring his one-man show, which plays at Liverpool’s Unity Theatre this June. Cartoonopolis sees his younger brother, Jack’s imaginary world brought to the stage. Steph Niciu meets Lewis and Jack to talk about why this show is so important and the creative process ...
The merits of accessible live streaming of theatre and congress at DaDaFest 2016
January 22, 2017Steph Niciu co-ordinated the live-streaming of the first day of Congress, The Kindness of Strangers and Fat Activism at DaDaFest International Festival 2016 last November/ December. Here she talks about the importance of live-streaming in making the arts accessible to disabled people and the logistics of what makes a good ...
