ART UK exhibition FOCUS and story | KALEIDOSCOPIC REALMS

Kaleidoscopic Realms installation photograph by John Hartley

Jennifer Gilbert wrote for Art UK to question disability representation in galleries and museums in 2024, in relation to the show she co-curated at Nottingham Castle Museum & Art Gallery titled Kaleidoscopic Realms.

“This exhibition had access, empowerment – as well as acceptance without prejudice – built in from the outset. Where possible, artists (or their family members/studio facilitators) were involved in their artwork selection, in choosing wall colours, in deciding what event they would like to run in the space. For learning-disabled and neurodivergent artists, this is a rarity. But for myself and co-curator Christopher, this was non-negotiable and of the utmost importance, alongside the language used and the accessibility of this language – Braille, BSL and Easy Read. We commissioned autistic artist Anna Farley to create a sensory visual map alongside hand-held boards that break down information on each artist and their practice in simplified ways for wider audiences. Texts have been commissioned on each artist by curators, directors and writers, to allow audiences to view this work through the eyes of respected and recognised art world people, to help dispel the stigma that still exists.”