Playgrounds are often the first place disabled children expect to have a worse experience than others. Saba Salman talks to Jess Thom, co-artistic director of Touretteshero, about making connections and a day of rebellious, inclusive fun.
Saba Salman: What’s the aim of Touretteshero?
Jess Thom: Touretteshero is a disabled-led arts organisation. Using Tourette’s syndrome as a catalyst, our mission is to create an inclusive and socially just world for disabled and non-disabled people through our cultural practice.
We’re interested in connecting people with ideas and with each other in engaging ways. We make art, do disabled-led research and run a solidarity programme – solidarity is the word we use to describe the work we do supporting other disabled people.
SS: What was the aim of the Return of the Rebels project?
JT: Return of the Rebels was a day of free, rebellious and inclusive fun for all ages at the Whitechapel Gallery in London.
The event showcased new play experiences created by disabled artists: Christopher Samuel, Max Alexander, Mirabelle Haddon, Oona and Chris Dooks and BLINK Dance Theatre.
It was part of Rebel Play – a research project of ours that celebrates the positive play experiences of disabled children and adults.
Over the past two years, we’ve been collecting disabled people’s positive play memories, times they’ve played in joyful ways. These memories form our How We Play archive, and we’ve been commissioning disabled artists to make new play activities in response.
Rebel Play draws attention to the many barriers to play disabled people still experience.
SS: Why call it Return of the Rebels?
JT: For many disabled children, playgrounds are the first place they learn to expect a worse experience than their non-disabled peers.
As a disabled person who’s worked in inclusive adventure play for many years, I know that play finds a way and we wanted to explore this – celebrating disabled people’s right to joy, leisure and community.
We launched Rebel Play in November 2024 with Rise of the Rebels at Oasis, an inclusive adventure playground in south London. We encouraged disabled children and young people to rise up in rebellious and creative ways.
SS: How did the Return of the Rebels event go?
JT: We had 132 children and adults taking part in Return of the Rebels, including 12 disabled artists and six volunteers.
One participant was Mercy, a sociable, non-speaking, wheelchair-using 12-year-old. Mercy had a great time moving herself around the space.
Her mum and sister kept a watchful eye, but she experienced a freedom that’s harder for her to have in less accessible environments. Mercy tried the entire mocktails in Oonatini’s Bar, making choices and communicating with new people.
She loved watching BLINK Dance Theatre’s roller-coaster inspired movement experience, complete with wristbands, chirpy music and fast corners.
Mercy was at the centre of the action all afternoon, joyfully seeking out and making connections with other children, artists and volunteers.
SS: How timely is this sort of project?
JT: Disabled children and adults experience significant barriers to play, but we also find creative ways to play throughout our lives.
We want to share our collected experiences with the world. At a time when disabled people and our families are under pressure, it’s vital to connect, share joy and take up space together.
SS: What’s next for Touretteshero?
JT: We’ll continue building our How We Play archive this year and find ways to share it in creative and accessible ways.
We’ll commission more disabled artists to design play activities and host our final Rebel Play event.
Later this year, I’ll be heading to Washington DC with our director of research, Dr Will Renel, to present a paper at the Library of Congress about disabled children and young people’s experiences of play during the covid pandemic.
