Nabil Shaban

Nabil Shaban has dedicated his life to
creating pioneering theatre works and campaigning for disability rights.

Born in Amman, Jordan, Nabil arrived in the UK aged three for treatment for brittle bone disease, and subsequently spent six years in hospital and seven in a children’s home.

In 1980, Nabil co-founded Graeae, a pioneering theatre company specialising
in disability arts. From Doctor Who to Hamlet, Nabil’s career spans an impressive list of
film, theatre and television credits. In 2005, he published ‘Dreams My Father Sold Me’,
 an anthology of 30 years of
his artwork and poetry.

Nabil is recognised for his political activism and campaigning
and has written and presented documentaries challenging perceptions of disabled people.

Since 2000, Shaban has been based near Edinburgh where he has appeared in many productions, including his own play, ‘The First To Go’, which chronicles the treatment of disabled people under the Nazi regime and premiered at the Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh in 2008.

Goldsmiths awarded Nabil Shaban an honorary fellowship in 2019.