Whilst we have been touring Oska Bright (the international festival of short films made by people with learning disabilities) all around the country and overseas, Sarah Watson and I heard people saying that the films were good and that everyone must have got a lot of therapy out of making them. We were angry that they saw the films as “therapy”. We think the films are of a high quality that should be seen by more people. We talked about this a lot and decided to get together with artists and performers with learning disabilities to see what we could do about this. We want to change people ideas and perceptions and the way they see us.
By Matthew Hellett
I think your success has been great, Andy – you are a role model for many others. I still don’t understand why arts training courses aren’t open to learning disabled artists, performers or film makers. I know many people with learning disabilities who would make exciting work on degree courses at universities, and who would contribute a lot to the university’s learning. Why is it that learning disabled people are excluded from arts degree courses in England? There is some great work going on at Trinity College in Dublin, but I don’t understand why its not happening on this side of the water. Any ideas?
As a young person I wanted to be able to do my art very well. later on I was able to get some funding and training to do both youth work and visual arts. The courses were both part-time. I was both doing course work and developing ideas for projects. The training was hard work and led to me having a Btec first certificate in art and design and the skills to be a professional artist. Each unit of work we gave each other feelback on the art work. On both courses, no other members were learning disabled.
Doing arts projects with other people . I have run into some support people who found taking part in the arts very hard or do the art for the learning disabled person. I do know for a fact that a support worker going for a NVQ qualification in care must undertake a unit in developing creative activities for the people they support. As a artist I set aside some time to be creative with the staff before the work starts.
Is the Artist first, then the disability.
Are the Tate in London or Liverpool doing some courses for support Workers in which they gain some creative ideas in order to make a trip with the people they see fun and interesting. I think the course was named “Art into Life”. I know about this as I was part of the creative team for mencap ” In the Frame” project based at the Tates in London and Liverpool. A few years back . I have in the past worked alongside Artists from Somerset House in london on workshops for disabled young people.