1 March 2021
Announcing a series of three exciting virtual exhibitions to showcase artists work from ActionSpace, Project Ability and Venture Arts, beginning with ‘Electric Dreams’ (launching 11th March)
ActionSpace , Project Ability and Venture Arts jointly possess over 100 years of experience nurturing creativity and creating opportunities for artists with learning disabilities and since first working together on a project in 2015, we have seen the value and reward of keeping in touch and supporting one another.
Now we are coming together with a unique virtual project entitled x3 showcasing Lockdown work by artists across different mediums at a time when galleries are still closed, travel is restricted and opportunities to exhibit work are severely limited. Each organisation in turn is to host an exhibition showcasing work by one artist from each partner organisation, united by a chosen theme - a virtual project to keep up all connected and to share communities, creativity, optimism and aspiration.
Taking place ‘in’ Manchester and hosted by us at Venture Arts, the first x3 virtual exhibition, ‘Electric Dreams’, is inspired by the inner-world of dreamscapes and is curated by Venture Arts artists Daniel Elms and Sally Hirst. The show features the work of Daniel Elms (Venture Arts), Declan Leslie (ActionSpace) and Gary Turner (Project Ability). The theme of dreams brings together visions of longed-for natural beauty in the photography of Daniel Elms, whilst the visionary cartoon world of Manga art inspires the surreal work of Gary Turner and horror and the grotesque run through the sometimes-nightmarish work of Decan Leslie. Making Audio Description an art in itself, each work will be described with a poem specially written by Sally Hirst.
The exhibition ‘Electric Dreams’ will launch on our website on 11th March. Project Ability will host the next exhibition in May and ActionSpace will present the final exhibition of the trio in July... Watch this space and our social media for further announcements! ActionSpace ActionSpace is London’s leading development agency for artists with learning disabilities. They are an exceptional visual arts organisation with big ambitions for all the artists that they work with. They support, advocate and promote diversity within the contemporary visual arts sector. All of their work is focused towards enabling artists with learning disabilities to have a professional career in the arts. www.actionspace.org Project Ability Project Ability, established in 1984, is a Glasgow-based visual arts organisation with an international reputation for excellence. They create opportunities for people with disabilities and people with lived experience of mental ill-health, aged 5 years to 80 plus, to express themselves and achieve their artistic potential. Over three hundred people each week take part in their year round programme of workshops, events and exhibitions which are held in our centre in Trongate 103 and in community venues throughout the city. They work in partnership with people with disabilities and their support agencies across the UK and develop local, national and international arts projects, creating opportunities for people to network, share their practice and exhibit their work. www.project-ability.co.uk“We are thrilled to be working with our partners at ActionSpace and Project Ability on this exciting project and to provide a new platform to show the work of some of our many talented artists,” says our director Amanda Sutton, “The support of these partner organisations has always been so key to us but never more so than during the challenging and dark times of the pandemic. Together we have found ways to keep moving forward, to adapt and maintain the vital services being offered to our artists and continue to promote the incredible work being produced. This advocacy and exposure is more relevant and fundamental now than ever.”
