Documentary starring Paralympian Hannah Cockroft highlights the need for equal access to school sport for disabled children.

By ParalympicsGB & Harder Than You Think Productions, 26th August 2024

• This short documentary stars Paralympian Hannah Cockroft and highlights the need for equal access to school sport for disabled children.
• EQUAL PLAY shows that PE at school is an opportunity for disabled joy.
• The uniting and universal power of sports, the desire for young people to thrive, and ultimately, the determination for a more equitable present and future.
• 45 percent of the crew who worked on the film identified as Disabled.

 

Photo credit: Matthew Horan / Seamus Ryan

Winner of the Audience Award at Lebron James’ Uninterrupted Film Festival, EQUAL PLAY is a powerful documentary that highlights the need for equal access to school sport for disabled children, with just one in four saying they currently take part in sport at school. The story focuses on two British children, Marley, a teenager from London whose life has been profoundly changed by sport; and Tammy, who struggles from barriers to physical activity at her school and experiences daily exclusion. 

The film follows both children as they are sidelined in school and demand their right to be treated equally in access to sports and PE. Marley discovers his confidence and social skills through boxing, while Tammy is inspired by ParalympicsGB star, Hannah Cockcroft to take up wheelchair racing and explore her competitive side on the racetrack. By capturing the nuanced joy and empowerment that sports can bring to disabled individuals, EQUAL PLAY highlights the positive change that inclusion can create. 

Directed by Lily Ahree Siegel, the film was produced by Emmy award winning Harder Than You Think Productions [Rising Phoenix] and Robert Ford [Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story]. Executive producers include Koji Yanai [Perfect Days], Greg Nugent (Harder Than You Think), Anna Scott-Marshall [ParalympicsGB], Barnaby Spurrier [Rising Phoenix, Somers Town] and playwright/screenwriter Jack Thorne. 

Lily Ahree Siegel, director:

This subject matter is particularly close to my heart due to personal experiences. I was the kid who found PE daunting, questioning why I couldn't perform as effortlessly as others. This film project is a tribute to the 11-year-old version of myself, and to all the kids who face similar barriers to access PE and sport, ones who have gone through both personal struggles and glorious victories of self accomplishment. EQUAL PLAY celebrates inclusive disabled joy around movement, and how society must keep pushing towards this.

Hannah Cockroft, seven-time Paralympic Champion:

I still remember the moment I won my first Paralympic Gold medal in the T34 100m, at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Ten years on, disabled children are sitting on the sidelines when para-athletes are now household names in the UK. Awareness and acceptance of Para-sport is growing, and yet currently, thousands of disabled children are missing out on the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity. I hope our documentary EQUAL PLAY raises awareness of the necessity for equal access to school sports for all disabled children.

Greg Nugent, executive producer and co-founder & president of Harder Than You think Productions:

We have something incredible in EQUAL PLAY and the team at Harder Than You Think Productions are honoured to have been entrusted with Tammy and Marley’s stories which we hope will impact disabled children's lives for the better. Our goal is always to make films that go way beyond the usual in terms of inclusive and representative production standards - we want to inspire others in the industry to be more open to disability inclusion.

Watch EQUAL PLAY here 

For a screener, interview requests and further information contact: Katy Driscoll - [email protected] / +44 7767 442 211

Credits

Director: Lily Ahree Siegel
Producer: Robert Ford 
Executive Producers: Koji Yanai, Greg Nugent, Anna Scott-Marshall, Barnaby Spurrier and Jack Thorne
Co-Producer: Calum Campbell
Editor: Laura Spini
Consulting Editor: Jinx Godfrey
Composer: Amy McKnight 
Director of Photography: Natalja Safronova
Animation: Podenco / Antoni Sendra
Disability Consultant: Lindsey Dryden
Sound Design & Mix: Will Cohen