Background

Creativity is Mistakes is a collaborative project between disabled artists and visual arts organisations in Wales. The project centres the voices, talents and lived experiences of disabled, Deaf and neurodivergent visual artists in developing innovative models for collective access in the visual arts.

Collective access is access that is intentionally created together, shifting the responsibility from the individual who needs it, to the wider communities, institutions and infrastructures. ‘Access is complex’—it is more than just having a ramp—and ‘it is a constant process that doesn’t stop’, writes disability activist Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha. Developing collective access in the visual arts requires ongoing collaboration, experimentation, learning from mistakes and honest conversations.

Up to 15 participating artists will work together with the partner organisations to develop the Creativity is Mistakes programme. This will include workshops, professional development opportunities, one-to-one artist mentoring, research and public events throughout 2022-23.

Through this project we will work together to:

• Develop novel ways for artists and organisations to embed intentional access in their artworks and programming in meaningful ways, making the Visual Arts in Wales accessible to as many people as possible;

• Create opportunities to ensure disabled, Deaf, and neurodivergent artists, curators and creative practitioners are empowered, promoted and included within the Visual Arts sector;

• Share the project findings through a freely available ‘Visual Arts access toolkit’ in late 2023.

Creativity is Mistakes is funded by the Arts Council of Wales Connect and Flourish and is a partnership between Disability Arts Cymru, Artes Mundi, g39 and Mostyn, with additional specialist expertise from Manchester-based Venture Arts.