Our Sick Friends

“Laugh and cry and tell stories. Sad stories about bodies stolen, bodies no longer here. Enraging stories about the false images, devastating lies, untold violence. Bold, brash stories about reclaiming our bodies and changing the world.”
― Eli Clare, Exile and Pride: Disability, Queerness, and Liberation

Journey along with us in a parallel world where we still exist as disabled and chronically ill people, crafting symbolic attachments while we make ‘our sick friends’.

In this online workshop, we’ll be crafting together over zoom, making talismans and puppets from the scraps of our daily lives and found objects from our local rural and city environments. By exploring their narratives, these ‘people’ will become our disabled ancestors, allies and friends, who can help us to navigate the moments we need company most.

This workshop is for sick and disabled people and our allies. It will be led by Kyla Harris with Disabled Artist Network. Participants are welcome to have materials gathered to assemble your own creation. Equally, drawing alongside or just listening and being is also an option.

Access:

This event will take place online and is free to attend. There will be a BSL interpreter present and live captioning will be used throughout.

We will be using the platform Zoom that requires you to create and log into a registered account.You may create an account for free here. Participants will receive a link to the event on Friday 4th December 2020.

We will request that workshop participants have their microphones muted in order to hear the instructions and performance taking place from the gallery. Participants are welcome to use the text chat function and to raise their hand and speak into their microphone with any questions throughout the session.

The session will start at 4.30pm and finish at 5.45 and will include a break. Participants are welcome to drop in and out, and to take breaks when they like. The session will be recorded and available to watch back after the event.

We want to make sure that our exhibition and events programme is welcoming and accessible. Please contact us if you would like to discuss how we can support you to virtually attend and enjoy this online event or have any feedback on the accessibility of our work. Email: p.wright@brighton.ac.uk.

Special thanks to Disabled Artists Network for sharing their resources on creating an accessible event.

Image source: https://www.researchgate.net/post/What-symbolic-transmission-of-cultural-knowledge-regarding-disabilities-can-be-found-in-folk-and-fairy-tales