In Practice, disability representation in the visual arts

I was invited to be artist/researcher for VASW’s summer 2024 professional development programme, which included workshops, resources and a seminar to support artists and art workers.

For the programme, I was keen to bring d/Deaf, disabled, neurodivergent and chronically ill people to the forefront; showcasing disability arts within the South West region. Events were offered completely online to be as accessible as possible with BSL (British Sign Language) where possible.

Questions I asked myself while planning were: what is missing in the area and how can we challenge it? In practice, what work is being done? By bringing together artists, curators, writers and academics this was an opportunity to explore this further.

I hoped that a mixture of people would add diverse knowledge of what is happening now within disability arts, this included expert knowledge from Cathy Waller who took a deep dive into the Access to Work scheme in a hugely insightful sessions both to individuals and organisations looking to support employees.

In her resource The Art of Access Adjustments , artist, writer and curator Jamila Prowse “allows for freedom, flex and possibility within our creative practice”. She offers an accessible way of working, and talks through how this can impact your own practice as an artist. Jamila’s resource has been well received and I personally gained a lot of knowledge.

Other resources and editorial include Bone Idle by Daisy Hunter, a text about their project which was born out of the pandemic and experiences as a disabled artist. Finding support in the arts when chronically ill, d/Deaf, disabled, neurodivergent, mad and/or sick by Hannah Wallis is a guide to getting started as an artist, ways to make connections and find specific support in the sector. And in Things Arrive Together as Suffused and Inseparable: Donald Rodney, Jareh Das, Carolyn Lazard and Robert Leckie consider Rodney’s work, and how his legacy reverberates among younger generations of artists.

Along with artists’ perspectives, I also wanted to bring in other organisations who work within disability arts. Outside In held a talk and creative workshop, explaining their role as a national organisation and what they can offer to artists who face barriers; and two artists who face barriers have received 121 mentoring sessions with Heather Peak, Artistic Director / CEO of DASH.

And to close the programme (for now), we presented the In practice, disability representation in the visual arts seminar, which explored disability representation in the visual arts sector; from lived experience of neurodivergence and disability, to further education, where art empowers young people as a tool for communication. We looked at what it means to be a curator working with artists who face barriers, and how these practices activate positive change - what do these changing spaces look like in practice?

70 people signed up with 51 attending on the day, a brilliant turnout. Presentations were given by Matt Burrows (Exeter Phoenix), Anna Mankee-Williams (Falmouth University, Arts and health Research Centre), Heather Peak (DASH, Disability Arts Shropshire) and Christopher Samuel (Artist).

The seminar raised important questions: trauma and young people’s mental health, and the impact this has in adult life as a creative; the importance of inclusion and equity in research, shifting focus from diversity and equality; what it takes for artwork to be well received and understood by the public when tackling challenging subject matter; your own identity as a disabled or neurodiverse artist seeking autonomy and power through art, and the impact of living with disability; how it is possible to transition from artist to artistic director; the misplaced value of constant production and seeking alternative ways to create impact; and challenging the possibility of creating an organisation that is neurodivergent-affirming and validating, safe and creative - could an organisation be seen as an artwork and an organisation at the same time?

The conversation explored the intersectionality of lived experience, and the impact of this on creative practice. Between all of the panel there were many crossovers and issues, such as lack of funding within different disciplines and the challenges this raises.

These are just some of the important topics that came from the panel’s presentations. I feel it shows how far we have come but also emphasises just how much more work there is to do to have an equal and equitable representation with the disability visual art field.

The seminar chat function was filled with people building connections and sharing links. It was so important to me that connections were being made and that people who attended left with a contact that could possibly evolve into collaboration. The group chat emphasised that this work is needed and it was heartening to see people make passionate comments about the subjects being discussed.

Working with a diverse panel - artists, academics, an artistic director and curator - opened up different ways of thinking, and ways of tackling public perception around disability within visual arts. What all of the panel had in common was impostor syndrome - not one of the panel felt that they should be there for differing reasons. I found this profound - if we do not embrace the impostor, who will? The sense of belonging, validation and permission to fail are all important, and by the end I think all the panel were comfortable and happy with how the event went.

At the end of the seminar I asked the panel: what does change mean to you? Here are their responses:

More equitable space to be in. It is a space that listens and actually hears and it is a space within the arts mental health space that really can drive home some key messages, but it's also agile, responsive, but I think to do that, it needs to be really provocative.
- Anna Mankee-Williams

… embracing new things, you can think about other kinds of accessibility and other kinds of diversity and how other people's experiences haven't been recognised or shared or given access.
- Matt Burrows

… to be constantly in kind of state of change, but I think any change looks like continuing to agitate and engage in spaces or places that are not typically disabled accessible.
- Christopher Samuel

… that we're fully hybrid in everything that we do. The digital experience is as curated and as expansive as it actually can be, as well as real life experience. So understanding that this world that we're in right now is extraordinary.
- Heather Peak

Through passionate people working together, the real positive impacts are clear from education through to the gallery space.

This programme has opened up questions and possibilities for the future, I personally have gained invaluable knowledge through these conversations and I hope this is just the beginning. Thank you to Lucy Badrocke and the Visual South West Arts team for giving space for me to curate the programme. A huge thank you to everyone who has taken part and to those that want to keep pushing forward, challenging the system around disability arts.

Amanda Lynch is a visual artist, researcher and curator, her special interests are within the Disability Arts Movement and in being an advocate for those who face barriers due to disability.

Amanda grew up on the outskirts of London and now lives in Somerset. She studied at Leicester at De Montfort University for a BA Fine Arts Degree and loved it so much that she stayed on to gain a Master’s in the Arts. Amanda trained in sculpture, using heavy large materials such as cement and plaster, before moving into working with assemblage and collage. Her practice is now research and activist-focused.

Part of the West of England Visual Arts Alliance (WEVAA), a three year programme that includes professional development, commissioning, and support and resources. Find out more here https://vasw.org.uk/wevaa