Enham in Southampton left me knackered. Re-united again with my sometimes-partner in things arty, Jon Adams, we were speakers at a pilot session for the Dada Exchange programme we are involved with. Usually it serves to provide a mentoring service for artists who have or have had some experience of disability in their lives. It’s a fantastic programme, and all the advisors have benefited probably as much as the clients. I didn’t know it would be like that when I signed up for it, but I’m all the better for it.
This pilot scheme is for non-adults living in the socially marginalised fringes of today. Our task was to introduce ourselves and give brief but (hopefully) motivating talks about how they could possibly benefit from such a scheme. Yes, it’s art, but it’s also a mentored path that can help these young people get a bit of self esteem back into their lives.
The second part of the session was were Jon and I led a workshop each. I think he was by far the more sensible of us two, and had them actually making stuff, responding to text from books. For mine, I had them involved with a site-responsive installation drawing with the furniture. Giving these young ‘uns the freedom to pull the room apart, up-end furniture, pile chairs up, and rip up some books (specially provided) was quite an experience for all concerned. Energy levels went through the roof, and control was walking a fine line on more than one occasion! But as we swapped groups over and repeated the session, it seems the furniture drawing had a significant affect on them. The drawings they made in Jon’s session turned out to be a lot more inventive and unimpeded than those of the first group who ran the exercise cold.
Comments ran from Weird, Boring and Pointless to Fantastic, Unexpected and Exciting. I think we can do more of this. But bloody hell, it was hard work!
