TRACES 

3. Inspiring

The children and young people's completed artworks are shown alongside the works of five ‘grown-up’ contemporary artists. These artists were selected for their potential to inspire young people to explore beyond the perceived limitations of disability. They were asked to offer work in response to the children’s creative journey, to explore the concept of traces, the traces that are left behind, and the traces that are made through motion. The works include new commissions, co-produced projects and several significant loans.

2. Collaborating

This was the start of an exciting collaboration with Ash Field Academy, a SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) school for children in Leicester. In 2023 she returned to the school, this time with Morgan Stockton, director of Seeds and Dreams, as co-producer along with several art activists, some disabled. Together they facilitated ten intensive sessions of wheelchair printing and giant mark making. Children and young people, ages 4 to 19, were invited to print from their wheelchair wheels, as well as being offered a myriad of art tools to create with; all inspired by the traces made by the motion of rolling.

4. Exhibiting

The artists include 45 children and young people from Ash Field Academy, Sue Austin, Daryl Beeton, Laura Dajao, Aminder Virdee and Joseph Wilk along with 14 wheelchair users who contributed their digital drawings.

Daryl Beeton and Laura Dajao will be performing a dynamic duet as part of the Traces programme on April 7th 2024. A film of their performance will then be shown within the exhibition.