Accentuate

Go Public is an inspiring two year initiative led by Dada-South working in partnership with Artpoint.

The programme ensured there was a competitive open submission call to artists and the process was underpinned by a purposeful skills development plan of support and guidance for the successful applicants.

Deaf and disabled artists were invited to create and display art works in public spaces and places throughout the South East as part of Go Public.

Applications were considered from artists either working or living in the South East, who may consider themselves to be either emerging or established. Go Public  takes its lead from artists, and their definitions, recognising that the experience of disability can change and that individuals engage with their experience in diverse ways.

Accentuate is delighted to announce the artists who have been invited to Go Public.

Sarah Scott, Lorna Giezot, and Zoe Partington-Sollinger are now planning innovative and eclectic projects ahead of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Installation artist Vicky Vergou also won a smaller research and development award.

Zoe Partington-Sollinger is hoping to use shopping centres to project viscerally-powerful audio and visual representations of journeys made through public spaces by disabled people.

Sarah Scott is aiming to explore the impact of outdoor yoga sessions on disabled participants. This will be captured on film and in conjunction with a disabled fine artist. 

Lorna Giezot’s work appears in collections including Tate Modern, but she has never before undertaken a large-scale work of public art for permanent outdoor display. She plans to make and install a door and doorway made from weatherproof transparent resin that will glow with light and feel warm to the touch.

Lorna said: “Doors represent a spectrum of emotions depending upon how they are presented. There are notions of prevention and ‘the unknown’ when closed, secrets and the forbidden when locked, but also of opportunity, adventure, possibilities and the future.”

She added: “The ability to look through the sculpture to see what is on the other side breaks down that fear of ‘the unknown’ that is associated with many metaphors, including disability and disabled people.”

“I want to create something that everyone can connect with and relate to.”

Stevie Rice, Director of Dada-South, said: “We are delighted that these exceptional artists have been selected. I have no doubt that the work will engage and challenge audiences’ perceptions and will give a much needed opportunity for disabled and Deaf artists to present their work in the public realm.” 

Kevin Wilson, Director of Artpoint, the public art agency for the South East, added: “Go Public has enabled Artpoint to further understand the needs of disabled artists in the South East. It continues to be a very rewarding process to support disabled artists in all stages of their development.”

Alongside these commissions an open programme of workshops will be delivered between April and September 2010 which will focus specifically on issues pertinent to the development and delivery of public realm initiatives. The workshops will be open to disabled and Deaf artists wishing to increase their skills in this area and will be wholly accessible and underpinned by strong knowledge and experience of disability-related issues.

In addition to this, Go Public will also be staging networking seminars open to disabled and Deaf artists, stakeholders, commissioners, clients and funders. These events will provide opportunities to share knowledge, expertise and build a network of practise in and around creative public realm delivery in the South East. They will bring potential clients and commissioners together with disabled and Deaf artists increasing the potential for future engagement.

For further information please contact

Artpoint

www.dada-south.org.uk

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