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Fiona McClure
My name is Fiona, and I’m a singer, actress, and writer with Cerebral Palsy, also known as CP. There has been a lot of challenging things physically and mentally in pursuing the arts with CP. I want people to shift their narrative about people with parabilities to one of kindness and understanding.
Grease was the first musical I was cast in, and when I learned I got the part, I screamed because I was so excited! My director worked with me a lot by modifying things to help me feel included. I didn't want to be seen as the girl with the parability, but rather as just a member of the cast like anyone else, and my director helped me feel that way. I felt like she believed in me, and that was a very monumental moment for me and was all I needed to keep going.
Making these spaces accessible is important because people with parabilities often feel like they don’t matter and aren’t taken seriously in these industries. As well, the arts themselves need to have diverse stories told, and the barriers in place that come with being someone with parabilities in the arts often stop our stories from being heard.
I’ve leaned on music because I felt lost, vulnerable, and confused, and it helped me through those dark times and it continues to help me today. Studies have shown that music can help with depression, cognitive ability, and stress, and I feel strongly that this is true. This is part of the reason I advocare for people with parabilities to be included in these spaces. I feel that the barriers in place for people with parabilities in the arts keeps us from being able to fully experience these benefits the way everyone should be able to.
I really want people with parabilities in music and theater to be seen, heard, and to feel like they matter. I also want to push people in music and theater, whether they are educators or performers, to educate themselves and be empathetic when working with people who have parabilities.
I talk in more detail about my experience in my blog post: Parabilities in the Arts
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