Art Shape Exhibitions
As you might expect, art is the product of much of Art Shape’s work and so we host exhibitions as often as we can to provide showcase opportunities for people who might not otherwise have the chance to display their work publicly. And some of our work is specifically designed to help people prepare for, and hang, an exhibition themselves (Exhibition Skills course).

In November 2001, Art Shape hosted its most ambitious exhibition to date – On The Level. The exhibition was about artists exhibiting together as equals, whether they were just starting out on their creative paths or working as professional practitioners. Central to On The Level was a commitment to provide exhibition opportunities for artists who face barriers of access, including disabled artists, and so this mixed media arts event featured work from a broad cross-section of Gloucestershire’s arts community. Disabled and non-disabled artists, professional and emerging artists exhibited together for the first time. On The Level succeeded on many levels: offering an inclusive, high profile opportunity for Gloucestershire’s artists; providing a forum for debate; and offering linked training options for disabled people. Contact Us to get more information about the exhibition and to get a copy of the critical essay written about the work.

We are now working towards a successor event – On The Next Level – which will take the concept to a regional stage. The plan is to give audiences the opportunity to take pleasure in other people’s achievements, experience the richness of creativity within the region and to be given the opportunity to explore and debate their own creativity. The exhibition will again offer the maximum opportunity for professional development opportunities for the both the arts professionals and people facing disabling barriers in the arts. Click here to find out more.

In the meantime, we have continued in our inclusive practice by hosting an annual Print at the University public exhibition. The work showcased was by learning-disabled adults and was the culmination of a year’s Access to Printmaking course run in conjunction with The University of Gloucestershire.

Print at the University

Art Shape’s expertise in applying inclusive practice to hosting exhibitions has led to us working closely with organisations and individuals, most notably a recent exhibition of Recovery Photography now sited at Wotton Lawn and Charlton Lane centres. This unique and inspirational project was inspired by a Department of Health initiative working to promote recovery as “the norm, not the exception”. Click here to find out more.

In addition, our Above and Beyond banner-making workshops led to participants being part of an exhibition at the Town Hall in Cheltenham in the autumn of 2003.

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