Textile art exhibition by disabled artists, 23rd Aug – 4 Oct.
Disabled people are angry that a major art show in Leeds is inaccessible – and are turning their anger into positive action: an exhibition by disabled artists.
Disabled people were angry and upset when they discovered that Grayson Perry’s popular tapestry series, The Vanity of Small Differences, is coming to Leeds in August, but will be displayed on the first floor of Temple Newsam House – in a wing where there is no lift. Unable to see the tapestries in situ disabled people are left with the unsatisfactory, and insulting, alternatives of watching a documentary film, downloading an app or travelling to Liverpool where the tapestries were previously on show.
As a response to this, but more importantly, to showcase the talent and creativity of disabled people, the idea of an exhibition of textile art by disabled artists was conceived. Local arts organisations Inkwell and Union 105 both offered exhibition space. Then disabled artists from around Yorkshire, most of them from Leeds, took up the invitation to submit work for the project.
The title of the exhibition, “The Reality of Small Differences” clearly echoes the title of Grayson Perry’s tapestries and serves as an homage to his work. Importantly, the title invites people to consider the realities of disabled people’s lives, while suggesting that the differences between disabled people and non-disabled people are indeed small. The differences perhaps lie in the opportunities that are available to disabled people and the barriers that disabled people face in all areas of life. Some of the work in this show is a reflection on life as a disabled person and on living in a disabling society.
The exhibition is of textile art, which makes a clear link to Grayson Perry’s tapestries and is bold, eclectic and challenging. The exhibition includes a wide range of techniques and materials: woven, felted, knitted, printed, patchwork, dyed and stitched artworks.
There will be two opening events on Saturday 23rd August 2014 at the following venues:
• Union 105, 105 Chapeltown Road, Leeds LS7 3HY.
http://eaststreetarts.org.uk/space/union-105/
Launch event: Saturday 23rd August 3-5 pm,
then open Sunday 24th August 12-4 pm, Tuesday 26th – Thursday 28th August 12-6 pm and by appointment in the week following.
(Exhibition closes Wednesday 3rd September 2014).
• Inkwell Arts, 31 Potternewton Lane, Chapel Allerton, Leeds LS7 3LW. www.inkwellarts.org.uk
Launch event: Sat 23rd August 5-7pm,
then open Tues-Sat 10am – 4 pm every week until Saturday 4th October 2014).
The exhibition is free and open to everyone, in two wheelchair accessible venues in Leeds 7. It opens on the same day as the exhibition of Grayson Perry’s tapestries at Temple Newsam.
Artists taking part in the exhibition say:
“Heritage trumps access all too often.”
“Physical exclusion and the façade of access imply that disabled people don’t
matter to arts organisations. No amount of interpretations or downloadable
activity packs will make up for not being to get inside to see the work in situ.”
– Katya Robin
“We do not like being excluded from the cultural events of our city and want to celebrate our colourful creativity.”
– Pyramid of Arts: The Eden Group
“Small differences can have a huge impact on daily reality. I hope the exhibition will encourage people to think and then make small differences in their own lives which will have a positive impact for others as well as themselves.”
– Carrie Scott-Huby
Contact for more information:
Gill Crawshaw: gill.crawshaw@gmail.com, 0790 585 2341.
Join the event on Facebook.
Disabled artists include people with physical or sensory impairments, learning difficulties, mental health problems or other long term conditions. We use the term “disabled people” in line with the social model of disability, that says that disability is caused by barriers in society, such as lack of access. For a further explanation, see, for example: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/office-for-disability-issues/about#the-social-model-of-disability