Working Parts is an informal steering group of arts organisations in the four Black Country boroughs – Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton.

Current steering group members are Black Country Touring, Walsall Council Creative Development Team, the Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton Art Gallery and Multistory.

Join us if you are interested in the arts and disability, whether you’re an artist, venue, promoter, audience or want to follow what’s happening…

Windows with a Difference have invited artist Bobby Baker to the Black Country because she is uniquely placed to bridge the Arts and Mental Health worlds, it is the ambition of her company Daily Life Ltd to access, connect, support and inspire people and organisations across the UK via Bobby’s performances, exhibitions, and related outreach and engagement activities. Windows with a Difference share this ambition in large print

“Exceptionally funny, Bobby Baker is a performance artist of rare quality and distinction” – The Daily Telegraph

If you were involved in Carnival Buzz in Summer 2011 or just want to see what happened and what people thought about the event please download the PDF. One Voice are currently applying for funding to explore ways of increasing the impact of a public event for involving artists, participants and audiences. Watch this space. One_voice_Report_Carnival Report by Alan McLean

Watch a slideshow of Diary Drawings on Guardian website

Windows with a Difference presents

Bobby Baker Talk “Diary Drawings”

When: Wednesday 14 September

Time: 1.30

Location: The Public West Bromwich

ACT UP present SHOUTING  a short piece in response to the Drawing titled “Shouting” by Bobby Baker

Bobby Baker will discuss her drawings from an exhibition that shows one person’s experience of severe mental and physical illness and recovery.

These figurative drawings use various styles such as caricature, surrealism and the more classic techniques of life painting. The exhibition displays the harrowing realities of living with mental illness and society’s lack of understanding, using artistry and humour to break down the barriers commonly associated with talking about mental health. The images, carefully selected by Bobby with her daughter Dora Whittuck, a clinical psychologist, are drawn from 711 drawings made over 11 years. The drawings are captioned by Bobby and present a clear account of her journey.

“Visitors’ comments reveal how powerfully the artist’s protests connect with the widespread experiences among others who are struggling with problems themselves… The Diary Drawings form a graphic autobiography of rare emotional directness. They also tell of ties that held against unimaginable strain, and so give an extraordinary story of damage and repair.” Marina Warner

“I work in mental health and feel [the Diary Drawings are] a unique record of what the experience is like… The visual lightness and humour makes it all so accessible. Brilliant!” Child & adolescent NHS psychotherapist.

The talk opens with a short performance by ACT UP who have created a piece of theatre based on the drawing titled SHOUTING  in the publication “Diary Drawings”.

Read about it in the Observer
Find out about Bobby Baker by watching this short video on the BBC website Video nation

See the great photos by Kären Ryder, One Voice

The objective of Window with a Difference as set out by Teresa is to find out if there is a wish to show work outside of the therapeutic mental health setting and niche, and find a way of removing the stigma of mental health from the presentation of the work.

The July meeting of the Window with a difference group suggest that there is a desire to create presentation opportunities and the discussion followed on from the theme of trying to get user groups involved in producing art for specific shows to be held alongside Bobby Bakers work due to be shown in venues around the 20^th-Feb 2011- 2^nd March 2012.

You can find out more by attending the next meeting on Tuesday 13 September at 1.30pm at the Public (Ask at reception)

You can download the minutes of July Window meeting

Marc Brew dance show “Nocturne” now at Newhampton Arts Centre 12 noon and 1 pm

In 2010, Working Parts supported “Wolverhampton Disability Network”, The Network is One Voice project. Working with Kevin Bailey who  championed the idea of using the arts to increase involvement and participation in the Disability Network.  The aim of Carnival Buzz is to create a user led Disability event, that delivers a public procession that celebrates Disabled people in Wolverhampton and headlines the highest quality Disability arts in the UK, by presenting Marc Brew’s Dance work “Noctune”

Rehearsal at Deaf Cultural Centre

Gold Dust by Andrew Muir