An exhibition of textile art by disabled artists
Thursday 7th April – Sat 16th April. Open every day (apart from Sunday) 12 – 7 pm.
Launch event Wednesday 6th April, 6-8pm.
At Live Art Bistro, Regent Street , Leeds, LS2 7QA (opposite Maplins).
Shoddy is the name for new cloth made from woollen waste and recycled fabric. This original meaning is now largely unknown, and the word has come to mean of inferior quality, shabby or broken-down. This is the starting point for a project by disabled artists working with woollen or other yarns and fabrics, or recycled and reused textile materials.
The Dark Light by Andrew Towse & Anne-Marie Atkinson
We are challenging any assumptions that our work, and our-selves, are inferior, broken-down, second-rate or badly made.
Shoddy takes place against the current background of cuts to welfare benefits and a raft of massive cuts to public services, including social care, that are disproportionately affecting disabled people. The exhibition opens shortly after the budget brought in further benefit cuts, estimated to leave 200,000 disabled people £3,000 a year worse off.
The ensuing anger over this latest episode in the sustained attack on disabled people’s rights has focused attention on the project’s assertion that “shoddy” is a more appropriate description for government policy.
The exhibition is free. All welcome.
The venue is an ex-showroom. It’s wheelchair accessible with parking in nearby streets. Please get in touch for more detailed access information, or check out the blog.
https://shoddyexhibition.wordpress.com/
Twitter @ShoddyArts
Supported with funding from Leeds Inspired, part of Leeds City Council.