Cripping Up
Feature length film In Production
Director
Amy Crighton
Producer
Meg Fozzard
Doc Society helped with
Development
Cripping Up, a groundbreaking 360 VR documentary, invites viewers into the intimate realm of my life as a wheelchair user, navigating a world that is not designed to be for accessible. This Meta Oculus 2 headset experience unravels my personal journey, shedding light on the often-overlooked challenges that define my daily existence. From boarding a bus to traversing seemingly simple roads, the audience witnesses the hurdles that go unnoticed by those not living as a wheelchair user.
Built on my firsthand experiences and informed by my studies in Creative Producing for Digital Platforms at The National Film and Television School, Cripping Up stands as a unique critique of VR films and experiences attempting to depict disability. Through extensive research,' I've uncovered a recurrent theme: VR is hailed as an empathy machine, with reviewers expressing a deep connection, especially evident in experiences like Notes on Blindness.
However, my frustration lies in the ephemeral nature of this empathy, dissipating once the headset is removed.
My distinct perspective, informed by both personal encounters and academic exploration, challenges the common narrative surrounding VR empathy. In a post-experience title screen, viewers are prompted to reflect on the transience of their immersion—while they can walk away, wheelchair users cannot. The term "cripping up," often associated with non-disabled actors portraying disabled characters, takes on new meaning, highlighting the limitations of understanding that persist even in the apparently empathetic world of VR.
Filmed using a 360 camera affixed to my wheelchair, the project recreates five pivotal scenes from my life. These scenes, enacted by a cast of actors, offer a visceral portrayal of the challenges faced by wheelchair users on a daily basis.
@megrozfozz
Crew
Amy Crighton
Director
Amy Crighton is a director and dramaturg with a particular focus on developing new work in conjunction with writers, and an interest in working with new technologies.
They are the Co-Artistic Director of Votive Theatre who were selected for the Barrel Organ & Company development scheme 2022. Amy was the recipient of the Jerwood New Work Fund, which supported them to direct CHOOSE YOUR FIGHTER in a sold-out run at Camden People's Theatre. They were an associate of Nottingham theatre company New Perspectives in 2022/23 and have had work showcased at the Curve Theatre as part of the National Student Drama Festival.
Amy spent 2 years as Literary Assistant at the Bush Theatre working as a dramaturg and supporting on the Bush's artist development schemes and reads for the George Devine Award and Royal Shakespeare Company.
Amy is the recipient of Rose Theatre's 2023 Peter Hall Emerging Artists Fellowship.
Meg Fozzard
Producer
Meg Fozzard is a disabled freelance producer. Her career as a producer began back in 2018 when she studied Creative Producing for Digital Platforms at the National Film and Television School.
She graduated in February 2019 and became disabled in April 2019, drastically altering her career.
Her career highlights include working as a Producer on the Museum of Austerity XR experience with director Sacha Wares, the National Theatre and the English Touring Theatre, working as the Project Coordinator on the podcast Equal Too: Achieving Disability Equality with HARDER THAN YOU THINK ahead of the Paralympic Games in Tokyo and in the team at the BBC that created Beat the Bot, an AI voice controlled quiz.
Currently, she is working with filmpro as a Project Manager on their new programme, filmpro with ten, the first of its kind in the UK to explore the relationship between art and disability justice.Visit Meg's Website
