Working Parts

When I look out of the window I dream of what I want to see…

Friday December 3

12 – 2 pm at The Public, West Bromwich

Please join us if you are making art and creative in Sandwell and the Black Country and have an interest in showing your work.

On International Day of Disabled People and during The Disability Film Festival at the Public.

It all starts at 12 noon with a performance of monologues by Act Up at 1pm. When you arrive at noon their will be the chance to meet people attending, and here about their work.  The informal event will be chaired by Alan Cheeseman from Chameleon Gallery a user led artist gallery in Walsall and artist Teresa Townsend who initiated the idea of the event.

Joining us will be Rosie Nembhardt from Kuumba, which is run by Sandwell African Caribbean Mental Health Foundation.  Rosie will present two art works which artist Annette Gardner has created with Kuumba’s therapeutic art group

Also their will be a presentation by Georgia Belmont who is lead artist at Black Country Headway. Georgia has been carrying out research into self expression and communication through visual arts with people with acquired brain injury. The paintings are a selection of work from the project which is funded by Grants for the arts.

During this sharing of artwork we will have artists from Sandwell Mind and SMHFT

Following this will  be a discussion led by artists based in West Bromwich that will ask the following questions:

How do you leave the mental health art world to get into mainstream art?

How can our work be viewed differently, outside of the mental health stigma?

How do we create an exhibition using this idea of getting away from the stigma.

Can we explore ways to show our work, online, in a shop?

Try looking through the window, and see what’s in the frame, in a different way

The Window is a unique opportunity for individuals of the community who have an interest in art to have it displayed with like minded people in support of disability and mental health awareness. We welcome work by learning disabled artists and artists from the community who experience the similar barriers.

If you wish to attend please contact Alan, Teresa and Tim using our email windowswithadifference@gmail.com

Working Parts are pleased to announce that following artists joining our network through this event, artists are exhibiting their work in Arts Nation a mini festival of art in the Black Country encouraging more people to go to galleries and theatres.