Accentuate Place and Time Public Art Commissions
Date uploaded: February 19, 2014
Accentuate is developing an exciting Public Art opportunity for deaf and disabled artists interested in making new work in response to sites of historic importance to disabled people. The aim is to deliver a range of commissions, from small research and development grants for emerging artists, through to larger scale commissions with high levels of public engagement.
Deaf and disabled artists are currently significantly under-represented in the cultural sector in the UK and even more absent as practitioners working within the Public Realm. Therefore Accentuate Place and Time will redress this imbalance along with providing a highly ambitious opportunity for artists to develop their contemporary practice, increase their public profile and engage with wide ranging audiences from both the arts and heritage arenas. In order to mount a successful project Accentuate are keen to get feedback from artists and arts professionals and would be grateful if you would complete this short questionnaire.
Over the last four months, funded by ACE, Accentuate has led a panel of Arts and Heritage Practitioners: Rosie Sherrington English Heritage, Carole McFadden The British Council, Liz Gilmore and Victoria Howarth The Jerwood Gallery, Ruth Gould Dada-Fest, Jonathan Banks IXIA, Jo Nolan Screen South, Carol Swords Pitzhanger Manor and Rachel Gadsden Artist, to devise an ambitious site specific commissioning programme, the scale of which has not been seen before, which will raise the bar for disabled artists working in the public realm, referencing and uncovering the unique and hidden heritage of disabled people. Accentuate working closely with English Heritage and the Curatorial Panel has selected seven potential sites of interest across England, which have remarkable stories to tell, from the Medieval Period to the Present day.
Accentuate also hopes to deliver a mentoring programme alongside the commissions for both early career and established practitioners, ensuring a more vibrant, sustainable and resilient community of disabled creative practitioners is established. Through exploration of site specific historic material disabled artists and audiences will develop a more connected sense of community. Non-disabled audiences will have preconceptions challenged and develop an understanding of the role disabled people have played from Medieval times to present day. Furthermore the quality of work will ensure the cultural life of the UK is enriched.
For more information about Accentuate click here or email [email protected]