Had to let you know about the I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E opportunities that are being made available over the next year for any artists who experience significant barriers to the arts world – whether this is through health issues, social circumstance, or general isolation.

North West Hub for Artist Development

Venture Arts, Outside In and The Whitworth Art Gallery are excited to be working together to present the North West Hub for Artist Development, which aims to create and expand opportunities for artists across the North West who face barriers to participation in the arts world.

Untitled – Madge Gill (Myrninerest). Madge Gill is one of my all-time favourite artists and over a hundred of her pieces are included in the Musgrave Kinley collection that we’ll be able to explore with curators at the Whitworth.

As well as being able to dive in and explore the full wonderful Musgrave Kinley “Outsider Art” Collection at The Whitworth, this exciting new opportunity allows us to support visual artists to: 

• Professionally photograph work
• Create an online gallery
• Develop a portfolio
• Exhibit
• Find artist residencies
• Apply for funding
• Work with museum and gallery collections
• Network and collaborate with like-minded creatives!
   

To get a bit more of an idea about what kind of opportunities there are, head over to Outside In’s website where you can see some of the fantastic exhibition and curatorial work that you can get involved in. If you are an artist who experiences significant barriers to participation in the arts world and you would like to sign up to be a North West Hub artist, you can sign up right away here.

Do get in touch if you’d prefer a printed version of the sign up form to be posted to you, or would like assistance filling it out over the phone or Zoom.  

Online soft launch event 

On Monday 30th May at 2pm, we are hosting a short online information session where we will introduce ourselves and the project and answer any questions you might have.

If you’d like to attend, please sign up here.  

Speaking at our launch will be: 

• Amanda Sutton (she/her), Director at Venture Arts. 
   
• Marc Steene (he/him), Director at Outside In. 
   
• Beth Hopkins (she/her), Ambassador Coordinator at Outside In. 
   
• Kate Davey (she/her), Training Programme Manager. 
   
• Ellie Page (she/they), North West Hub Manager.  

Online Artist Support Days

You can finds links to book in for artist support days here: https://www.bio.link/nwhub

Tuesday 31^st May, 11am – 5pm

Tuesday 21^st June, 11am – 7pm

Thursday 7^th July, 11am – 7pm

These North West Hub Artist Support Days will be taking place online, run by Ellie Page, the North West Hub Manager. There are one-hour bookable slots.

In these sessions, we can talk about your practice and sign you up to the Hub, as well as offer bespoke support to create or improve your own online gallery including writing an artist statement, photographing your artwork and adding searchable tags to help people find them. At the end of the session you will have your own online gallery with website link showcasing your artwork.

To book a slot please email ellie@venturearts.org or text 07539 371 070 with your preferred date and time.

In Person Artist Support Days

Wednesday 13^th July, 11am – 7pm at The Yard

41 Old Birley Street, Hulme, Manchester, M15 5AR.

This North West Hub Artist Support Day will be taking place at The Yard Theatre in Hulme, run by Ellie Page, the North West Hub Manager. There are also one-hour bookable slots. These sessions will cover the same as the online sessions and at the end you will have your own online gallery with website link showcasing your artwork.

Accessibility

The Yard Theatre is a large, wheelchair-accessible, ground floor space located in Hulme, Manchester. Clear access and travel information will be provided once you’ve booked in. Please let Ellie know if you have any access requirements for the session or if you have any questions about attending.

Wednesday 20^th July 10am-5pm at The Whitworth

This North West Hub Artist Support Day will be taking place upstairs at The Whitworth in the School of Creativity space. It will cover the same as the online sessions and at the end you will have your own online gallery with website link showcasing your artwork.

To book a slot please email ellie@venturearts.org or text 07539 371 070 with your preferred date and time.

Accessibility

The Whitworth Gallery is located on Oxford Road, and has a wheelchair accessible front entrance as well as lift to the School of Creativity area. On arrival, someone will be available to show you where to go, and once booked in, Ellie can send you more access and travel information. Please let Ellie know if you have any access requirements for the session or if you have any questions about attending.

Artist Residencies

As well as launching the North West Hub, we are offering 10 bespoke residencies for learning disabled or neurodivergent artists from across the region! If this sounds like something you or someone you work with might be interested in, please get in touch with Ellie at ellie@venturearts.org or by text at 07539 371 070.

We’ve also got an online soft launch/information session on Monday 30th May 2pm which you can sign up to attend here: https://forms.office.com/r/XPWv3az5Na

I’m very excited that a solo exhibition of my wonderful spoonie friend’s is now open at The Lowry!

‘Stories For Us’ by the very talented Julian Gray launched this week, along with a number of amazing (& wheelchair accessible, ofc) workshops, events and weekly drawing clubs.

Image Description: A hand-drawn sketch of two men. One is facing forward, looking ahead with a concerned expression. Behind him are some vague figures, and the second man, who is drawn from the side, with his arms folded, looking down.

Stories For Us Weekly Drawing Club

Still ill OK is very excited to be facilitating a weekly Drawing Club at The Lowry for the duration of the exhibition. These free drawing socials will be held every Wednesday 6-7pm in the (wheelchair accessible) Gallery A space at The Lowry. Some materials will be provided, but you are both welcome and encouraged to bring anything you’re currently working on, or your own sketchbook and tools.

Please note that you will need to book your free space online by clicking here in order to attend the Drawing Club

Events

There are some very exciting events alongside the exhibition, so we really hope to see you there!

Wednesday 23rd March – 27th April – WEEKLY ‘STORIES FOR US’ DRAWING CLUB

Thursday 24th March – COMIC CREATORS IN-CONVERSATION: OLIVIA HICKS & JULIAN GRAY

Saturday 9th April – CREATING COMICS FOR BEGINNERS: WORKSHOP BY JULIAN GRAY

Thursday 28th April – CREATIVE MATCHMAKING: WRITERS AND ARTISTS ASSEMBLE!

I’ve been so grateful to work alongside two WONDERFUL womxn over the last year, as we embarked on a long-distanced creative adventure together thanks to some DYCP funding awarded by Arts Council England. We are all so excited to finally announce that our first online exhibition is now LIVE!

You can check it out for free online by clicking here, and please consider donating us the cost of a brew over at our Buy Me A Coffee page.

We have had to reschedule our planned Instagram Live launch event as I have been unwell suddenly with – yes – COVID.

We have been working together since March, and this exhibition presents works-in-progress, as well as the methods we used to work together, what we did, how we did it and who we became.

A new range of prints from my NeuroPictomancy series are now on sale at our shop, on Etsy and over at Stationary N’ Stationery, along with a number of other gorgeous gifts & art from local artists!

This series is part of an ongoing visual essay exploring a practice I have been developing called ‘NeuroPictomancy’. You can read more about this “communication in progress” over at the Resting UpCollective Substack post, as well as on the Still ill site. This will eventually be created into a short book exploring the process & its results.

Not only this, but there are two new designs from this series available as a range of clothing and homeware options over at Society 6 & Red Bubble including something I am VERY proud of….

… THE JIGSAW OF PAIN!

Gift your loved one who doesn’t generally experience extreme pain a JIGSAW that represents yours! It will be phenomenally difficult to complete, and while it is an image filled with pain, I believe it is also quite beautiful and talkative.

Click here to visit the jigsaw section of my Red Bubble shop, and over at Society 6 you will find the milder – but possibly even more difficult – jigsaw titled “Mint Chocolate Deluxe”.

About the Jigsaws of Doom:

Exercise your mind with our precision cut puzzles featuring a thick, class-leading paperboard, with a satin finish for added durability. Available in 200, 500 and 1,000 piece sets to match whatever your skill level may be.

• Available in 200, 500 and 1,000 piece sets
• Precision cut puzzle shapes
• Printed on a thick, class-leading paperboard with a satin finish for added durability
• Single-sided print
• Every order is made just for you
• 200 Pieces: Suggested for ages 8 & Up
• 500 & 1,000 Pieces: Sugested for ages 9 & Up Total
• Puzzle Dimensions: 200 Pieces – 13.75″ x 17.125″ (34.925 cm x 43.498 cm) // 500 Pieces – 14.125″ x 17.625″ (35.878 cm x 44.768 cm) // 1,000 Pieces – 19.75″ x 24.75″ (50.165 cm x 62.865 cm)
• Average Individual Piece Dimensions: 200 Pieces – 1.25″ x 2″ (3.175 cm x 5.08 cm) // 500 Pieces – .875″ x 1″ (2.223 cm x 2.54 cm) // 1,000 Pieces – 1″ x 1″ (2.54 cm x 2.54 cm)