Express Collaborations - Project Ability

Express Collaborations is a group exhibition built over many months and devised by artist Tanya Raabe-Webber. The artwork in this exhibition covers a variety of themes, and much of it has been made during the Express Collaboration zoom workshops. Tanya’s idea was to bring a large group of artists together, mostly online, where they discussed and made artwork in response to themes chosen by one another. Reaching as far as Australia and Sweden, the artist’s took turns leading online workshops, sharing their chosen theme and why it inspired them. Each artist then responded to this theme by making an artwork.

This process allowed the artists to share their practices with one another, whilst giving them experience in delivering workshops and working towards a group exhibition. Some of the themes include, “What’s your fairytale”, “Childhood-An Object with a Childhood Feeling.”, “Embodied Drawing –The Human Figure and Bodily Sensations.” and many more.

Tanya has been delivering workshops both online and in person with the artists involved in the exhibition, helping them develop their practice and find new ways to engage with themes and topics of their choosing. With an Express UK leg, and an Express International leg, the exhibition comprises 24 artists, 3 support studios, and 4 countries. Project Ability, Blue Room – Studio Me in Liverpool, Figment Arts in Brighton, and an artist from Inuti in Sweden and Arts Art Projects Australia have all contributed to Express Collaborations.

The many themes that intertwine through this project, and the variety of different artists involved with it over the last year, has resulted in a captivating array of imagery, ideas and collaborative artworks. Express Collaborations is a wonderful example of artists, all of whom identify as having a disability, coming together to encourage, share and grow their art practices, through the mentorship of Tanya and the encouragement of each other.

View all of the artworks in the exhibition here.

Exhibiting artists; Corinne, Debbie Caulfield, Richard Channer, Revell Dixon, Mhairi Anne Ferguson, Yvonne J Foster, Tess Gilmartin, Grant Glennie, Eliph Hadert, Will Hanekom, Morag Macgilchrist, Simon McAuley, Ruth Mutch, Sam Neads, Magnus Östling, Jake Parker, Kirsty Pentecost, Tanya Raabe-Webber, Katya Solyanko, Cathy Staughton, Helen Thompson, Sarah Watson, Veronica Watson, Ophir Yaron

Below is a zine, showing many of the artworks in the exhibition,

On the evening of March 6th we had a reception and artist Tanya Raabe-Webber talked us through the exhibition. Below are some photos taken on the evening. Several of the artists traveled up from England for the occasion! The next day everyone took part in the workshops at Project Ability, getting to know each other and making some art.