ARRCC will be working with their members on a four month project exploring the whole concept of body image and what it means to people with a physical disability. The intention is to make a body of work to be exhibited as part of the Folkestone Fringe responding to the title of the 2017 Triennial ‘Double Edge’.
Triennial curator Lewis Biggs explains this years Triennial title “…has two meanings – the first is one of anxiety: the edge of the world, the edge of the future and the unknown. The secondary meaning is one of balance, released through the artist’s imagination when one tips over the edge and looks back on the known with a renewed perspective." This theme has a particular connection for our artist’s who live with or have experienced circumstances which have brought about disability. ARRCC’s artists are keen to make work to play with and respond to the title of the Triennial and how it has a particular resonance for disabled people. To exhibit work alongside world renowned artists and in an event of this caliber would be an exciting prospect and fantastic achievement. Particularly as people with disabilities are often undervalued by the societies they live in.
Local artist’s Candida Wright and Trish Bishop will run weekly sessions at our arts, health and wellbeing center in Folkestone, supporting people with physical disabilities to develop new skills by using plaster casting, carving and rubber molding to explore ideas of gravity, weightlessness and pain. They will start with portraiture and life drawing sessions moving into body casting starting with hands, feet, ears, faces and noses and moving into full body casting.
The 4-month program will be an exciting and valuable skills building exercise, providing opportunities for people with disabilities to develop and train in skills which will assist their self expression and confidence. The process will help to help build self-esteem and social engagement leading to an overall improvement in wellbeing.
ARRCC have successfully run two projects this year supporting our members to explore body image and disability, exhibiting their work in the public domain. The first was “Inter/face" an exhibition of paintings exploring how artists with disabilities interface with the world around them and took place in a renowned local gallery The Linden Hall Studios. The second was ‘Arrcc Lark’ an alternative catwalk event with the aim of raising disability awareness and making a stand against the "perfect body" culture portrayed by the fashion industry which places unrealistic social pressure and aspiration upon many people. This will be a final project to end the year further exploring this theme and drawing together what people have learnt and developed show casing their achievements to the local community.
ARRCC will approach local organizations and businesses throughout the town who they have built a relationship with and ask them to hang / exhibit the work in their public spaces between September to October to coincide with the Triennial. This will raise the profile of disabled people in the town and challenge ideas of the perfect body image, what is seen as “normal” and “beautiful”. ARRCC feel this will be an empowering project allowing the people we support to feel included in their community and put their mark on the Folkestone Triennial.
