About Lived Perspectives

Lived Perspectives was started by Ian and Jess, with the support of the University of Winchester, in 2023 when we held our first film festival event. It came from a shared interest in small film festivals and the promotion of grassroots voices from disabled, Mad, and neurodivergent communities and groups.

The Lived Perspectives film festival aims to only accept films that are made or co-produced by people who identify as disabled, Mad, or neurodivergent. We believe that people in these groups are often excluded and discouraged from participating in filmmaking, film festivals, and the wider film industry due to discriminatory practices and lack of accessibility. We hope that by highlighting the innovative, diverse, and often challenging work from these filmmakers we can support them in sharing the stories they want to tell and create a space for their voices to be heard.

Lived Perspectives C.I.C is a registered Community Interest Company. This means that we are a non-profit making organisation. All our income goes towards the festival and supporting filmmakers. Our Directors do not receive a wage for their work with Lived Perspectives C.I.C, and everyone else who supports us does so on a voluntary basis. We are always grateful for their time, expertise, and enthusiasm.

Meet the directors

Ian Roberts is shown in this picture as a white man with brown hair put up. He is wearing a red t-shirt and hugging a black and white cat who is looking mildly disgruntled.

Ian Roberts

Ian is working on his PhD looking at the impact and importance of small film festivals at the University of Winchester. He has worked for many years with the Winchester Film Festival in a variety of roles including Filmmaker Liaison and Programmer.

Jess Redway is show here. She is a white woman with blond-brown hair. She is wearing glasses and a huge blue knitted jumper. She is looking down at a tortoise that she is holding in her arms.

Jess Redway

Jess is employed as a Lived Experience Lecturer in nursing education where she works to increase the opportunities and space for patient and lived experience voices in healthcare education. She is a late diagnosed Autistic and identifies as Mad due to living with her somewhat erratic brain.