An award-winning drag artist from Ladywood in Birmingham has been invited to judge the national disability charity Sense’s annual awards, which celebrate the achievements of people living with complex disabilities.
The charity Sense supports people with complex disabilities, including deafblindness, and its flagship hub, Sense TouchBase Pears, is in Selly Oak. Its annual awards, which have been running for 21 years, have 13 categories, including ‘Campaigner of the Year’, ‘Young Sibling of the Year’ and ‘Celebrity of the Year’. You can find out more about this year’s Awards on the Sense website.
The shortlist and winners are decided by a panel of disabled judges, and this year one of those is Birmingham drag star Crip Ladywood. Rolling onto the drag scene in late 2021, Crip Ladywood, 41, has gone from strength to strength in recent years, winning one of Europe’s biggest Drag King contests, ManUp!.
One of the UK’s only wheelchair-using drag artists, Crip brings a unique perspective to the drag world and wants his act to spread joy and love. When not in drag, Crip’s alter-ego Emma has over a decade of experience in activism and campaigning, including as a public speaker.
Emma is currently also the Access Lead for Birmingham Pride. Crip Ladywood said: “I am so thrilled to have been invited to join the panel of judges for the Sense Awards 2024.
“As a genderqueer, bisexual, fat, neurodivergent, wheelchair user, I believe I bring a unique perspective to the drag world which touches on what it is to be proud of one's existence and the importance of finding and treasuring moments of lightness and joy – the Sense Awards shares similar values and I’m delighted to be a part of it.” Crip Ladywood is among a team of other disabled judges who will decide the shortlist and winners for this year’s Sense Awards.
His fellow judges include Sense’s reigning ‘Person of the Year’ Paige Barnes, Jaina Mistry who is England’s first blind female fitness instructor, and Lisette Auton, an author, playwright, activist and performer.
