Gary Thomas
Biography / Artist statement
Gary is a writer and artist with 14 years’ professional practice. Recently he presented his film at an in-practice session at the Royal Academy of Arts, London.
Gary has been supported by ACE to write Feminisms, a new play, to write his memoir, about being born with a flat nose and cleft palate and growing up gay.
He has taken part in Wandsworth Arts Fringe for the past five years, including:
- Writing The 49, a new play which ran for 3 weeks at TheatreN16 in Balham, produced by Jamie Eastlake
- Directing a one-week-run of Hidden, a one man show about his mental health issues, produced by N16 in Edinburgh. In 2013/14 Hidden was performed at Mole Valley Arts Alive, Camden People’s Theatre (DYSPLA) and Tristan Bates Theatre. A review of Hidden said: ‘For the entire thirty minutes of the monologue Hidden, I was transfixed, rooted to the spot in a state of otherness’ (Disability Arts Online).
- Writing A Simple Wedding Comedy, also shown at Wandsworth Arts Fringe
Gary wrote and directed Sectioned, a film installation, funded by ACE, based on John O'Donoghue's book SECTIONED shown at Fabrica, Brighton. In 2012 he wrote and directed a film Installation, The Dog and the Palace, which was screened at the cycle races during the London 2012 Paralympic Torch event in Aylesbury, plus other screenings and online broadcast. It gained an audience of over 20,000 and excellent media coverage. Funded by ACE.
He was also mentored on the Sync South East Leadership Development Programme for disabled artists, and in 2011 his artistic work was given a major showcase at Upstream, a showcase for work by disabled and deaf artists, which was part of Brighton Festival.