Creating Safely – Together in our Separateness
Together in our Separateness
Visual Artist Claire Hignett has made ‘Together in our Separateness’ for DIY. Claire has been working with DIY for many years. Recently she has been running our Making for Theatre and Print and Stitch classes. When these were cancelled, because of COVID-19, we asked Claire to make an artwork thinking about DIY and Isolation.
Claire used to work at St.George’s where DIY Theatre Company started. When St.George’s was broken into a long time ago Claire collected lots of keys from a padlock that had been broken. She has made us an artwork using 28 of these keys with pompom keyrings to represent all the people in DIY in isolation at home. The key is a symbol that one day we can unlock lockdown and all meet up again.
Claire also makes blankets and quilts to protect people, things and ideas. Claire has made a fragile shawl to protect herself and everyone in DIY too. To do this Claire using fabric and threads used in DIY projects or given by friends carefully matching the colours with the key rings.
When DIY members are all able to meet up together again we will use the shawl and the keys as the starting point for an artwork that brings us all together safely. We can’t wait.
Update: Eccles Community Art Gallery exhibited works which captured DIY’s responses to the Covid Lockdowns
DIY Young Leaders – free safe sessions start Monday September 7th
DIY will be Passing the Baton. Together with You Can Youth Club, we will be running free sessions which develop leadership skills and confidence for young people with disabilities. In the Autumn, we will be working on ‘Circus Tricks’ – a music, drama & circus project that will be delivered remotely to children and young people with learning disabilities in schools across Salford.
DIY will be running weekly sessions via Zoom. Over time we hope to transition this group back into face-to-face delivery.
DIY Drama Sessions – free safe sessions start September 8th
Want to have fun, meet new people and develop drama skills? These free weekly sessions are run jointly with You Can Youth Club. Last term we successfully ran sessions using Zoom to keep everyone safe and will continue to deliver this way in September.
I like it when I can see my friends on Zoom and I think the games are really good.
Drama Club is a place for young disabled people to build their skills in communication, teamwork, collaboration and, of course, drama whilst having fun!
DIY will be running more free safe sessions which start in September. Make sure you have signed up for our newsletter to make sure you get details straight to your inbox. Sign up here.