Supporting Voluntary and Community Action
art + power is a Bristol based organisation that uses the arts to empower disabled people and to create a more equal, inclusive and creative society. The group has a national reputation for high quality art and empowering arts practice and has come a long way since it started out in a Day Centre for people with learning difficulties back in 1998. art + power participants are no longer service users - instead they provide the inspiration and resources to enable others to empower themselves.
Faye Stewart, the Outreach Manager, told us more about art + power.
Disabled people with learning difficulties are one of Britain’s most excluded groups. Nine out of ten people with a learning difficulty suffer from bullying and only 25% are in employment. The arts can help people discover their own power, transforming people’s lives and challenging the way others see them.
An art + power event can be an extraordinary experience. The audience becomes enriched from hearing the stories, seeing the artwork, and feeling the drama of the art. The participants’ enthusiasm and passion for art is infectious. It inspires us to ensure that as many people as possible are able to experience at first hand the excitement of discovering how art empowers. Performances and exhibitions defy public expectations and encourage more disabled people to see the arts as a pathway to personal achievement and empowerment.
art + power offers high quality opportunities for disabled people to express themselves creatively. The Personal Arts Support Scheme (PASS) is a programme of Continuous Professional Development that acts as a launch pad for disabled people to develop careers in the arts. PASS is the only scheme of its kind in the country. It provides a personalised programme to support artists throughout their career and ensures that art + power’s programme is led by the choices of participants. Each participant works in one of Bristol’s leading arts organisations (visual art at Spike Island, performance at the Tobacco Factory, writing at the Arnolfini) towards their own artistic development and personal goals. They receive support to reach these targets from experienced staff, freelance artists and our strong team of volunteers.
Issues of equality and access are not just for disabled people they affect everyone and everyone has a part to play. There are always lots of opportunities to get involved as art + power welcomes anyone interested in creating a more equal, inclusive and creative community.
As art + power approaches its 10th birthday the group is planning a programme of transformation and celebration that will enable them to develop their model of empowering arts practice so that people all around the country can use what they have learnt to become empowered through the arts.
art + power is launching a big showcase of creativity called TransformARTive at Grant Bradley Gallery, Bedminster Parade, Bristol on Saturday 21 June until Saturday 26 July, 10 am - 4pm. This exhibition of visual arts, creative writing and performance is designed by art + power artists who have faced exclusion from the arts.
TransformARTive is an accessible and inclusive celebration of arts as a participatory experience. The public will be invited to explore the transforming power of arts through painting, ceramics, poetry and performance interventions.
At art + power we feel that it is important to work together in partnership with other organisations who identify with our goals. We are extremely excited about the prospect of working with Voscur in the future.
art + power receives no core funding – all the money we need we raise ourselves. We are constantly looking for supporters to keep in touch with art + power and help us to continue our activities, as well as more volunteers to help support others to develop their art and learn how an exciting arts organisation works.
art + power is an open access group in which everyone is welcome and every contribution is valued. To get involved just fill in the ‘join in’ form, which can be downloaded from our website www.artandpower.com or contact art + power, tel: 0117 946 8630, email: info@artandpower.com for a free tour.