Access All Areas

Event Alert!

Following our Access All Areas project and the Discovery: A Journey Through a Unique Perspective exhibition, (read more below), we’re holding an event at The Ferret in Preston on Sunday, 26th November between 1pm and 3pm!

At the event there will be an exhibition curated by Access All Areas Young Producers: Discovery: A Journey Through a Unique Perspective alongside live music and poetry from local artists and creatives! It’s an opportunity to experience art, meet other young disabled people in your area and chill out in at an inclusive space. Reserve your tickets here.

Open mic slots are available – email helena@blazeonline.org.uk for more information!

If you’re aged 16 – 25 and identify as disabled, join us to learn more about the Access All Areas project and share your thoughts on what creative projects you’d like to see more of so that we can make our next project even better!

Carers, companions and PA’s welcome!

Refreshments provided!

Being a disabled led project, we understand how important access is and we do our upmost to book an interpreter for our events, however due to scheduling issues we have no BSL interpreter for this event.

 

The poster has a blue background with two orange and cream bubbles to the bottom left and one at the bottom right. The Access All Areas logo is top right of the poster. It consists of two orange and cream arrows, one above the other. The top arrow points right and contains the word ‘Access’ in blue writing, and the bottom arrow points left and contains the text ‘Areas!’ in blue. In the middle of the arrows, the text ‘all’ is in blue writing. The text ’For 16-25 year olds identifying as disabled’ is in blue, followed by a QR code that takes the user to the Access All Areas page on the Blaze Arts website, and below this the blue text says ‘Carers and companions welcome’. The largest bubble at the bottom left of the screen says ‘Live music and exhibition! Open mic slots available. Sunday 26th November 1pm - 3pm. The Ferret, 55 Fylde Road, Preston, PR1 2XQ’. The smaller bubble above this says ‘a youth leg project in Preston, facilitated by poet Helena Ascough.’ The smaller bubble to the right of the poster says ’scan the QR code for more info or contact Helena at helena@blazeonline.org.uk’. At the bottom of the screen, from left to right, it has the Blaze Arts, National Lottery Community Fund, The Harris Charity and the Brian Mercer trust logos.

The Access All Areas project took place in Preston every Sunday between May and August 2023. Led by young disabled people and professional poet Helena Ascough, the project facilitated participants in exploring creative passions by inviting other professional disabled creatives to present workshops, and co-ordinating an arts exhibition to celebrate the project.

A group picture of the Access All Areas young producers with lead facilitator Helena Ascough and project assistant Maia.      A group picture of the Access All Areas young producers with lead artist Helena Ascough and project assistant Maia.       A group picture of the Access All Areas young producers with lead artist Helena Ascough, project assistant Maia, and Blaze Arts lead Helen.

Photography by Isobel Greenhalgh Creative

The start of the project was all about getting creative. This involved creative writing workshops with project leader Helena Ascough, a scriptwriting workshop with Matthew Gabrielli, music performances by Arisha-Jane Marsh and Oliver Cross, and a poetry reading with Shaun Fallows.

On June 18th, 2023, the group visited the ‘Nothing About Us, Without Us’ exhibition at the People’s History Museum in Manchester. The exhibition explored the history of activism by disability rights campaigners by showcasing protest materials and arts mediums. This exhibition inspired the group’s decision to produce their own arts exhibition; ‘Discovery: A Journey Through a Unique Perspective’

Three people reading large red text: 'Disabled people fight back'. Two people, both using wheelchairs, look at images in an exhibition.

“Discovery: A Journey Through a Unique Perspective spotlights early-career artists and their individual journeys through self-discovery and the world around us, and how our unique life experiences translate in our artistic expression.”

– Words by Benny, Access All Areas Young Producer.

The ‘Discovery: A Journey Through a Unique Perspective was co-ordinated and curated by the Access All Areas young producers, and also included some of their art. The process involved working together to create a concept, logo and artist call out, deciding on which pieces would be showcased in the exhibition, choosing the venue, creating marketing content and ensuring that the exhibition was accessible by audio describing the pieces of art involved in the exhibition. The young producers also contacted a photographer and videographer to capture the day.

The ‘Discovery: A Journey Through a Unique Perspective’ exhibition and Q&A took place on Sunday, July 30th at The Larder Café, Arts and Community Hub in Preston.

The art included in the exhibition is:

‘Look to the Stars’ 2023 – Ava Jolliffe

‘I try to speak to God but the sky is empty’ Series – Ally Zlatar

‘The Discovery of Reflection’ – Lee Plane (Access All Areas Young Producer)

‘Depression Series (Blue)’ – Grecia Balassone

‘Case Studies of A Autistic Showman’ 2021 – Lawlight Maledictus

‘A Short Thoughtful Poem’ – Holly Craig (Access All Areas Young Producer)

‘Discovering Myself’ – Bee Walker (Access All Areas Young Producer)

‘Nocturnal Shades 1’ – Helen Williams

Videography by Graham Kay at Fully Formed Films.

“Every day during the summer we made plans and have a laugh about the event we were planning, but also sharing the same laughs and struggles we’ve been through before Blaze. I enjoyed special field trips for example when we went to Manchester and the event planning so if in the future, I want to make events myself I can.”

– Words by Ben, Access All Areas Young Producer.

Check out Bee’s Story!

Tell us about your experience with similar projects and help us make the Access All Areas project even better by completing this survey!

If you’d like more information about the Access All Areas project, email helena@blazeonline.org.uk 

Photography by Isobel Greenhalgh Creative