Oh dear no DaDa

It just doesn't feel like November without DaDaFest. Over the years, its promise of original, thought-provoking art and performance as well as the regular-as-clockwork exposure of Mat Fraser’s bits, have become one of the highlights of Liverpool’s cultural calendar (not just because of the bits). But sadly, not this year, as the festival has decided to wait until next summer and the Olympic bandwagon to stage the next event. When am I gonna get my next fix of DaDaLesque?! The city's own International Festival of Disability and Deaf Arts has announced that the next one will take place between July and September 2012, with events concentrated in the last two weeks of August.  The theme for the festival will be TransActions - Fluid Bodies: Shifting Identities. Based in established arts venues across Liverpool, DaDaFest 2012 will build on the successes of its previous ten festivals in presenting the very best work by leading disability and deaf artists from across the globe. In 2012, the festival will offer a cultural celebration in the North West alongside the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. DaDaFest 2012 will include high-profile collaborations with international artists, further work with young people, development of the festival online and continuation of successful events such as Young DaDaFest and the DaDa Awards. A highlight of DaDaFest 2012 will be Niet Normaal: Difference on Display (translated from Dutch as ‘Not Normal’), an exhibition forming part of the London 2012 festival programme. CEO Ruth Gould said:  “We are really proud of how DaDaFest has grown since its inception in 2001 and the progress it has made for both the disability and deaf arts sector and in the mainstream. We are very excited about the programme for DaDaFest 2012, which will bring some really exciting and provocative work to Liverpool.” We don’t doubt that for a second. For more information visit www.dadahello.com, search for DaDaFest on Facebook or follow @DaDaDisDeaf on Twitter.