Disability arts performance at the Monument to the Great Fire of London

Disability arts performance at the Monument

On Friday 27 January, at 09:30 GMT, The Monument to the Great Fire of London will host ‘STEPS’, a never-seen-before performance by British Iranian artist and wheelchair user Anahita Harding.

Harding will use her upper body strength to manoeuvre her way up and down the steps of the 202ft column. The Monument was chosen because of its history and its tall, iconic structure. The artist looks at demonstrating the difficulty of disabled people face in leaving a building in the event of a fire.

Anahita Harding
About Anahita Harding

Anahita Harding is a British Iranian performance artist whose works have often examined bodily difference and disability. In 2019, she was shortlisted for the Turner Contemporary commission and the Katherine Araniello bursary award.

In 2022, Harding performed ‘Are You Comfortable Yet?’ at the Tate Modern as part of We Are Invisible We Are Visible (WAIWAV), and recently performed at the Tate Liverpool. She encourages viewings to reflect on their relationship to disability. ‘My work positions the disabled body to make it visible, where often it is erased, or made more palatable for a non-disabled audience’, she says.

Image: Anahita Harding by Matthew Harding, 2023

Visit The Monument

The Monument to the Great Fire of London is open daily from 09:30-13:00 and 14:00-18:00 (last entry at 12:30 and 17:30).

How to book tickets