News

Sad News from Arcadea: A Tribute to Lindsay Carter 1957-2009

It is with an incredibly heavy heart that we have to let you know that Lindsay Carter, our dear friend and committee member has died suddenly at home. We are deeply shocked and saddened, and are very sorry if this is the first time you’ve heard this news – we just obviously want to be sure that as many people as possible are reached with this news.

Lindsay touched so very many people. She was a compassionate humanitarian, dedicated activist, multi talented artist, and a true friend. And she had a wickedly sharp sense of humour.

Lindsay has been involved in Disability Culture for many years and we are far the richer for her work. She was a musician, singer-songwriter, performer, poet and visual artist – a truly talented person. With Grin and Bare It Theatre Company she found her performance wings, and grew and flew from there, writing her own solo music, working with mentor Keith Mills to record some of her work, and developing new work with Creatures From The Lawn. Most recently Lindsay was recording music, and one of her songs in particular, Higgs Bosun, with The Karen Sheader band. Her songbook is bursting with beautiful lyrics, powerful lyrics, provocative lyrics and hypnotically deceptive music, guiding the listener gently into powerful political ideas. People have likened her work to that of Joni Mitchell. Lindsay also developed three pieces which were accompanied with powerful digital imagery: Tank Man (about the heroes every movement needs); Florence (a tribute to and commentary on her grandmothers experiences); and Pressure, and she premiered them at Northern Stage in Newcastle.

In theatre and performance terms, Lindsay wrote and performed many of Grin and Bare It’s comedy sketches, and she went on to work with Disability Theatre Lab, developing a one woman monologue which we had hoped to produce next year. Lindsay performed in films – I Am Society produced by Shoot Your Mouth Off Films and Resistance produced by Roaring Girl Productions which is due to premiere at DadaFest in Liverpool this month.

Lindsay’s poetry has been published by Coalition in Manchester, by arcadea and in other on-line publications. She was a much treasured member of Sycorax Rising Poetry group, and in 2006 was our Festival Poet for the Mimosa Festival, writing wonderful poetry to both open and close the festival.

Lindsay was a key part of the wider disability community both regionally and nationally and she was at the core of everything we did at arcadea, – cabarets, exhibitions, productions, networking, management, and most of all supporting and encouraging other artists. She even became a Mimosa Lounge character, a wonderfully larger than life stylised character through whom Lindsay would charm members of the public and engage them in her ideas – her wonderful hypnotist character has mesmerised hundreds of people.

Lindsay’s work in Disability Rights, both her activism and her artivism, was about making peoples lives better, about bringing about change, and she has done that in no small way. There will be a legacy to all parts of her life, of that we are sure. Everything she did was with style, integrity, passion and the quest for the equality of all disabled people.

It is hard to think of a future without you Lindsay - your work and your memory will be treasured, and shared, and remembered.

Our thoughts and love are with Lindsay’s family, friends and loved ones.

All are welcome to attend Lindsay’s Funeral Service which will take place at 12.15 on Friday 13 November at Newcastle Crematorium, West Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE5 2JL. The family have asked for no flowers please. Afterwards there will be an informal gathering at Urban Café, Dance City, Temple Street, Newcastle, to give friends and loved ones the chance to meet and share memories about Lindsay.

There will also be a tribute event at a later date which we will keep you informed about.

If you would like to speak to us about Lindsay please call us on 079 3230 4241. We have created a tribute page where people can leave their thoughts, tributes and memories. Anyone who knew Lindsay or her work is welcome to leave a message.
A Tribute to Lindsay in pictures love fisheye x