We are looking for artists who consider themselves to be disabled to submit work for a textile art project, culminating in an exhibition in Leeds in spring 2016 (dates to be confirmed). Shoddy is the name for new cloth created from woollen waste and recycled fabric. This original meaning is now largely unknown, and the word has come to mean of inferior quality, shabby, broken-down. This is our starting point for a project led by and featuring disabled artists working with woollen or other yarns and fabrics, or recycled and reused textile materials.

Artists and craftspeople can submit work for this exhibition and some participants will use craft techniques, but we must emphasise that Shoddy is not a craft show or a demonstration of craft skills by disabled people. Work that, for example, follows someone else’s pattern or sticks to well-established traditions without subverting or commenting on them, is unlikely to be selected.  If you’re not sure about this, get in touch well before the deadline to discuss this more.

We will be challenging any assumptions that our work, and our-selves are inferior, broken-down, second-rate or badly made. The project is framed by the current background of cuts to welfare benefits and a raft of massive cuts to public services, including social care, that are disproportionately affecting disabled people, along with a climate of demonising those who receive benefits or other support. “Shoddy” should be used to describe the government’s treatment of disabled people.

You can read more about the project on the blog: https://shoddyexhibition.wordpress.com/

and follow @ShoddyArts on twitter.

Brief for artists

Shoddy is open to disabled artists (individuals or groups) to submit textile-based work, or artwork that involves textiles. Work for the exhibition will be selected by an invited panel. They will be looking for work that interprets one or more of the brief’s themes to create an exhibition of work that presents new ideas and that covers all of the themes of the project.

You can submit ideas for new work or you can submit existing work. You can submit up to 3 pieces or ideas.

If you are submitting existing work, please include clear photographs of the work. Tell us when it was made.

If you want to send in an idea for new work and your idea is selected, your work must be ready in time for the exhibition installation, one week before the exhibition opening. We’ll let you know as soon as these dates are set.

The artwork must be your own, and must be your own ideas. It’s fine if you are supported by other people to make your artwork, but disabled people must clearly be in control and leading making the artwork.  

Themes

You must produce textile-based work, or work that uses textiles, that addresses one of more of the project’s themes:

• Shoddy and shoddy manufacturing
  - the material, shoddy industry in Leeds/West Yorkshire, the woollen industry, uses of shoddy, mills & mill work, local history
• Recycling/re-using/re-purposing
• Shoddy treatment of disabled people by current government
  – public funding cuts including cuts to social care, access to work, welfare reform, bedroom tax, demonisation of people on benefits, deserving / undeserving poor, charity,
  - comparison of disabled people’s lives now – and in the past (making links to history as above).

Statement about your work

Please give a statement about your work that tells the selection team a bit more about it and how it addresses one or more of the themes.

Tell us how big it is and what media you’ve used or plan to use.

The statement shouldn’t be longer than 500 words, it’s fine if it’s shorter than that. The statement can be written, audio or video.

If you are sending in a proposal or idea for new work, please describe your work as much as you can, use sketches, diagrams or photographs if that helps describe your idea.

If you have already sent in a full statement and / or proposal to CuratorSpace over the summer, please get in touch again to confirm that you’d like this to be considered.

You must be able to get your work to Leeds for the exhibition. If this might not be easy or straightforward for some reason, please mention this, particularly if you might need some help.

Expenses

A small amount of funding is available as a contribution towards expenses, access or transport costs that artists might need. If you would like to be considered for this fund, please let me know, with an estimate of costs, along with your statement. This fund is only available for artists whose work is selected for the exhibition.

Insurance

You need to make your own arrangements for insuring your work.

Rough timetable

Because the exhibition dates are not set, some of the dates below might also change. The deadline for proposals is set at 18th Dec. This will allow time for artists to develop new work.

Brief sent out Oct 2015

Deadline for proposals Friday 18th Dec

Selection of work Early Jan

New work developed Jan – end Feb 2016

Work delivered to Leeds Mid ? March (1 week before opening)

Exhibition installed As above (1 week)

Exhibition opens End March

Exhibition closes 2 weeks later

Work collected from Leeds Up to 1 week after close, or by prior arrangement.