November 2021 Archives

Islands of Pain

29^th November 2021

A drawing by Touretteshero of a group of islands surrounded by water backed onto a black background. The biggest island in the centre has many tributaries running through it as well as cracks and forests of trees and flowers. To the east coast of this island some dark waves are rolling in. A giant whirlpool is up above the central island with lots a little islands dotted around it.

I’ve been in a lot of pain this week, in fact not just in pain, but also feeling very sick, which is usually well managed by medication.

Pain and nausea aren’t great on their own, but the combination of both floors me.…

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Transforming The Narrative - Sorcha Pringle

26^th November 2021

Over the last two months we’ve been sharing the work and reflections of creatives supported by our Young Artist Development Programme. This week it’s over to musician and writer Sorcha Pringle.

Hello, my name is Sorcha and I’m a disabled creative activist, community musician, composer, and access consultant based in Dundee.…

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Routine Reimagined

26^th November 2021

A digital drawing by Touretteshero of her visual bedtime routine checklist. At the top of the drawing is black text that reads JT bedtime routine. There are 12 squares each with different coloured backgrounds. Each of the squares contain a drawing that represents a task that needs completing. There are drawings of a catheter bag filled with urine with two hands holding the bag. The next drawing is a silhouette of a cat within the question ‘Cat has food & water?’. The next is of windows on a purple background with the words ‘Door Locked, window secured, garden clear of washing etc.’ The next drawing is of a blue water bottle with a green top on a forest green background with the question: ‘Water by bed?’ The next drawing is a red background with a syringe, a bottle of medication and a hot water bottle with the question: ‘Pain medication required?’ The next drawing is of a heating thermometer on an electric blue background with the question ‘Heating off/down?’. The next drawing is of an alarm clock on a lilac background with the question ‘Alarm in PA room?’ The next drawing is of a bamboo toothbrush with toothpaste on the bristles with the question ‘Teeth brushed?’. The next drawing is of an alarm clock set to 08:30 with the question ‘Wake up time agreed?’ The next drawing is a laptop and ipad on charge on a magenta background with the question ‘Computer & iPad charging?’ The next drawing is of a washing machine with the door open and a sink full of water with the question ‘Washing machine & sink empty?’. The last drawing is a stack of folded washing with the question ‘Clothes prepped for the morning?’

I find transitioning from one activity to another tricky. I struggle with planning my time and understanding and the order in which I need to do things. This is particularly hard when I’m tired, so bedtime is often a flash point.…

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What Do Children Need?

20^th November 2021

A digital drawing of a bright yellow bear, wearing an eye patch with colourful spots on it. The bears expression is neutral and they are wearing a t-shirt with the disability rights slogan Piss on Pity on it.

Yesterday was BBC Children in Need day. Schools and workplaces held collections in the lead up to an evening extravaganza of celebrity-led TV fundraising. The money raised will fund life-changing work across the UK.

Children in Need has been around since 1980 – just like me – headed up by Pudsey, the eye-patch-wearing-bear, who I recently learnt was only allowed to smile in 2007 – that’s almost thirty years of non-stop frowning.…

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Freak - Emily Heather Bower

19^th November 2021

The word Freak is written in large black lettering across the top of the page in ink. The background is white. There is a portrait of a 12-year-old girl in the centre of the page. She has wild brown curly hair that is shoulder length. She is white and has green eyes. She is wearing a vest and underwear set. The vest and underwear set are a dusky pink with a pink lace trim at the top. There is a white cartoon cat on her vest, bellow the cat her vest says ‘Kitty kat. On the top left corner of her knickers there is a small white cartoon cat head. The drawing of the girl is outlined with black fine line pen and coloured with watercolour pencils. Along the bottom of the page, it says ‘By Emily Heather Bower’ in bold black ink.

For the last few weeks, we’ve been sharing guest posts by creatives supported by our Young Artists Development Programme (YADP). This week we’re showcasing Emily Heather Bower’s poems and images which she’s collated into a powerful zine. Emily takes us through the process.…

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Catfish - Liam Burke

12^th November 2021

A digital freehand block-colour drawing of the Grand Hotel in Scarborough, which is sitting upon some dark green grass. The hotel is a Victorian building with at least 7 floors, with domes and turrets on the roof. It is drawn with a long yellow ground floor, with arched doorways and long rectangular windows. The two floors above it are much shorter, and are brown with small square and arched windows. Above this are two more floors coloured beige, which each have a series of long windows running next to each other. One of these sets of windows is coloured blue, the other is white. The two floors above these - the tallest two floors of the building - are beige, with tall windows of various shapes, with dark orange external framing. The roof is a dark green and black.

For today’s post we head to Scarborough where visual artist Liam Burke’s been working on a series of colourful digital drawings. Liam’s one of the ten artists we’ve supported to explore their ideas in our Young Artist Development Programme.

Liam tells us more about the buildings of Scarborough, the drawings they’ve inspired and his experience of exhibiting a piece of work at a gallery.…

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Social Care Success

7^th November 2021

The image is of a circle, split into different coloured slices, like a pie. Each of the slices has a word in it, and the words are Behaviour, Medication, Consciousness, other requirements, Breathing, Nutrition, Continence, Skin, Mobility, Communication, Emotional and Cognition. On top of the multi-coloured circle are the words: 7 people, 64 hours, 11 months.

On Friday I got an email confirming that the funding for my care at home has moved from Social Services to the NHS. This is known as a Personal Health Budget (PHB). They also sent me a breakdown of the hours and costs involved, and this is the first time in over a decade that I’ve fully understood both my support plan and the money that relates to it.…

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Rising - Helena Ascough

5^th November 2021

Over the last month we’ve been sharing a weekly guest post from one of the young creatives supported by our Young Artists Development Programme. This week’s spotlight is on poet Helena Ascough. So over to you, Helena:

Poetry is a huge love of mine.…

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A Snow Globe Of Love

1^st November 2021

Welcome to November – one of my favourite times of year! I love the smells of Autumn, the warm jumpers and the cold air. I’ve been enjoying scooting about through the fallen leaves, not even worrying too much about how they hide the potholes and kerbs.…

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Month: November 2021

Islands of Pain

Transforming The Narrative - Sorcha Pringle

Routine Reimagined

What Do Children Need?

Freak - Emily Heather Bower

Catfish - Liam Burke

Social Care Success

Rising - Helena Ascough

A Snow Globe Of Love

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