ABOUT DYSPLA

DYSPLA is an award winning arts studio producing and developing the work of dyslexic + neurodivergent storymakers.

DYSPLA is a neurodivergent lead, Tottenham based studio. Supported by the Arts Council England, DYSPLA produce the work of neurodivergent storymakers lead by award winning disabled artists, Lennie Varvarides and Kazimir Bielecki. Currently conducting research into the neurodivergent aesthetic while exploring the medium of XR (Extended Reality), DYSPLA continue to elucidate a new artistic aesthetic defined by the cognitive difference of neurodivergence.

They work internationally in film, immersive theatre, installation & digital art. Incorporated in 2013 to shed light on Dyslexic Narrative and the Neurodivergent Aesthetic, DYSPLA is at the forefront of neurodivergent creativity.

“Sometimes Abbreviated as ND, neurodivergent means having a style of neurocognitive functioning that diverges significantly from the dominant societal standards of ‘normal’. Neurodivergent people include dyslexics, dyspraxics, AD(H)D, autistics (including those with Asperger’s), dyscalculics, OCD, dysgraphics, Tourettes, etc.” The Westminster AchievAbility Commission for Dyslexia and Neurodivergence 2018.

DYSPLA​, the longest-running arts organisation dedicated to recognising the creative benefits of Neurodivergent artists, is pleased to welcome this year’s esteemed Judging Panel: Shanna Martens, (Development Executive of Vertigo Films) Colin Hambrook,  (Editor of Disability Arts Online) Professor Derval Tubridy, (Professor of English Literature and Visual Culture, Goldsmiths) Film Earls Court, (Producers of Earl’s Court Film Festival) Akua Gyamfi, (Founder of The British Blacklist) and Dr Julia Pascal, (DYSPLA Resident Winner 2019). Collectively, they represent a 360 perspective of the creative industry.

We would like to congratulate the following writers and artists who have been selected for interviews: Aislinn Evans, Matthew Gabrielli, Mike Forshaw, Nacheal Catnott, Rosie Baldwin, Thomas Morgan Evans, Isabella Albuquerque Sperotto, Janet Barnett, Michael Toluwalope Okanlawon, Ella Jade Peck Mesma, and Cassie Atkinson. We look forward to meeting them in person later this month and selecting two participants onto our fully funded DYSPLA Residency.

With the additional support of Earls Court Film, one of the winning writers will receive a grant of £1,500 towards the production costs of producing their finished script into a Short film. Earl’s Court Film Festival together with DYSPLA will also assist with casting, rehearsal spaces, and shooting locations. The finished film will be screened at the Earl’s Court Film Festival (ECFF 2022) in October /November 2022 to audiences in Earl’s Court, Soho, and on various online platforms. 

This Residency is unique both in its methodology and in its ability to bring the creative industries, the Disability community and the Academic world together. These types of collaborations and partnerships are invaluable to supporting the creative and professional development of British Neurodivergent talent. Founder, Lennie Varvarides says, “This Residency is the first step towards professional recognition for many of the artists we work with, and to witness how their ideas as well as their confidence, grow over the next year, is always a privilege.”