‘Draw me Access’ Workshop with Lady Kitt [Home-Rearing at Newbridge Project]

At The NewBridge Project Gallery space

Today I had the pleasure of working alongside artist Lady Kitt in co-facilitating a fantastic workshop. This was a “Closed” session with invited participants, all disabled artists, to illustrate the Newbridge Project Access Policy/ Manifesto.

The workshop was very inspiring working with fellow artists Mick Smith, Sarah Li, Catherine Walsh and Stuart Wilson. A massive thank you to everyone!

A description of the Programme Home-Rearing in black writing on the white gallery wall

The large gallery room, set up for the workshop with materials set up on the pink table. Paper sculptures, hoops and colourful paper can be seen in the background.

Participants discussing Access. A large elephant is sketched onto the wall alongside other contributions

More about the Programme:

Throughout April, Kitt and their two children Finn & Ada, will be working in our gallery every day we are open. During this time, they are inviting NewBridge communities to join them in “Home-rearing”, an 18th century English phrase for a community building a barn or dwelling together.

Photo of large paper Sculpture by Lady Kitt with a workshop table in the foreground.

Each day will offer something slightly different including drop-in activities, bookable workshops, sound baths, drag performances, talks, chats and parties.

Photo of paper sculpture by Lady Kitt. The words read ‘People are not hard to reach’

Kitt invites people who live locally, studio holders, staff and other curious folk to join them in collaboratively rearing:

• a giant installation / series of household shrines to Kith (our friends, communities and collaborators)
• games / processes / policies / (gentle) disruptions to support NewBridge’s ongoing development-embodying our values of care, community, inclusivity, accountability and solidarity, exploring how home-rearing / making approaches might be applied to nurturing an organisation
• a really gentle closing party or “post view” on Saturday 29 April for friends, kith and kin to celebrate the project and experience the shrine we’ve build before it is dismantled and recycled the following day

Many of the activities, techniques, games and questions Kitt will use during “Home-Rearing” have been developed as part of their:

Image for Home-rearing by Lady Kitt, Ada and Finn

• Ongoing project enSHRINE (started in 2019) which develops and facilitates creative tools for organizational development and cultural policy change. There is more info about the enSHRINE project here: enSHRINE | ladykitt (lladykitt.com)
• Culture Declares Emergency pledge (you can read the pledge here: Environmental Responsibility | ladykitt (lladykitt.com)