Local festival aims to make art accessible

This August, Warwickshire’s biggest free outdoor festival, Art in the Park, returns to Leamington Spa, and the team have been working hard to change the stigma surrounding art festivals and who can attend them.

To ensure that the event represents everyone and is accessible to every community, organisers have been running art workshops and working with many different communities and outreach charities in the town, as well as training staff on how to support these groups on the day.

The groups involved in workshops have made 400 pieces of art so far, and counting! Their work will be on display at the festival as part of a giant community installation.

Just some of the collectives they have been working with include; men’s groups, disabled and dementia groups, refugees, homeless individuals, those who have moved to Leamington from overseas, domestic violence survivors and SEND departments.

Last week a workshop with local charity PHAB Leamington brought together disabled and non-disabled adults to create work to be displayed in August.

The end goal of the workshops taking place is to ensure that the free festival remains accessible and that everyone knows they can attend and get involved. Karen, Art in the Park’s Community Outreach and Inclusion Officer said:

“We are committed to spreading the message that art is for everyone. The event has grown to be an integral part of Leamington Spa and its communities, so it’s therefore vital that we represent all of the people who live in, and have moved to, this wonderfully diverse town. In our workshops, art can be so therapeutic as it brings people together to share their experiences in a healing way. This outreach work has reminded me more than ever that art means different things to different people and that is something to celebrate.”

The event is also committed to inclusivity through its work with SEND departments, schools and practitioners.

There will be various quiet ‘chill-out’ zones available throughout the festival for those who need a sensory break, plus a sensory installation ‘Dot Dome’ created by artist Julia Snowdin who specialises in inclusive installations, working with a local special educational needs schools to inspire her creations.

Local artist Julia said:

“This will be my fourth year creating a playful art installation for Art in the Park. Dot Dome will be covered in perspex circles and will be big enough for wheelchairs, with cushions available for people who’d like to sit. I have just visited Evergreen School in Warwick to investigate the shape, colour and materials students like the most. In our workshop, the children told me that they enjoy music but don’t like crowds, so the tent-like artwork is going to be within the music area to create a safe, fun space that the SEND families can feel comfortable in.”

The Art in the Park volunteers will play a massive role in ensuring that everyone gets the help they need on the day. The festival is allied with the LGBT+ community, working closely with Pride Warwickshire to guarantee that the event supports and includes all and that volunteers are fully trained to help everyone.

Welcoming those who might feel unsure about attending has been the priority for the festival teams. Other initiatives include making sure there are appropriate measures for those with access needs, having a signer on stage and creating additional seating exclusively for elderly attendees and carers. A new layout of the art stalls ensures that wheelchair users can move around the festival easily.

Local groups who have taken part in art workshops already include PHAB Leamington and Warwick, Helping Hands’ Men’s Group and Esther Project, The Entrust Care Partnership, Lillington Hub Flex Learning, ETKA Group, Warwickshire Proud Youth, Syrian Ladies Support Coventry, Ukrainian Refugee Group, Beatle Woods and many schools including Arnold Lodge, St Margaret’s, Evergreen and Clapham Terrace.

Art in the Park takes place on 13th and 14th August across Mill Gardens and Jephson Gardens in Leamington Spa. The Dot Dome area is open all weekend or at 3pm-4pm for SEND families only.

If you would like to get involved with the festival, either by telling your story in a workshop or volunteering, email communityofficer@artinpark.co.uk