For many years, the I Am Festival took place at the Tate Exchange space in Tate Modern. However, the coronavirus pandemic meant we had to move the festival online. While this presented a whole new set of challenges around accessibility in digital spaces, many new opportunities also emerged, and we were able to explore how digital technology can be used to engage even more Deaf, disabled, and neurodiverse children and young people in creative projects.
The 2022 festival took a hybrid approach, with activities taking place in schools, at our office and online. The schools were lucky enough to have workshops with companies such as Graeae Theatre Company, Corali Dance and Digit Music. This blended delivery model allowed us to engage many young people who may not have otherwise been able to take part in the physical event.
Each festival has a theme:
- In 2023 the theme was Activism
- In 2024 was See Me, Hear Me!
- In 2025, we celebrated our 10th anniversary in partnership with Tate Modern, Young V&A and AFK, where we explored the theme of Make Some Noise.
- In 2026, our festival theme is Journeys
If you’d like to find out more about I Am Festival, please get in contact iam@anewdirection.org.uk
