In 1989, my friend Jon French’s life changed irrevocably when he was involved in a car accident that injured his spine and left him a permanent wheelchair user. He had previously worked as a structural engineer but, keen to get back to some kind of physical activity, in 1991 he was a founder member of an integrated dance group called Candoco, which has become a world-leading professional inclusive dance company. Jon, who has died aged 56 of pneumonia, went on to tour the world with Candoco, expanding perceptions of what dance can be.
On leaving Candoco in 2000, Jon was keen to explore a different area of performing arts: theatre. He was introduced to Face Front, a newly established disability focused theatre group based in Enfield, London. He was soon acting and directing for Face Front, as well as running workshops and looking after the finances.
