A colourful image of many intersecting strips and shapes: reds, blues, greens. When the strips of colour cross they are changed by one another, a bit like ideas in a conversation. The background of the image is textured, like fancy paper. In the largest red strip white lettering says “crip proverbs and rewriting spaces”. In the lower part of the image a green strip with black lettering says “a research project funded by Touretteshero”.
Crip Proverbs and Rewriting Spaces is an artist led research project interested in building crip proverbs to share the wisdom of our community. A proverb is a saying like 'Don't judge a book by it's cover'. The research questions we will explore include:
• Could proverbs be an impactful way to share lived experience and crip wisdom within, and beyond the crip community?
• Is it possible to embody this crip wisdom through dance and movement?
• And what happens when we rehearse this movement in a public space and disrupt expectations of gallery visitors coming to an exhibition?
“I feel like disabled people could have our own proverbs, direct and maybe even playful ways to share our knowledge. I’m also interested in different ways knowledge is passed on: words work for some people, but maybe movement works for other people? I’m keen to play and to find out!
As someone who is chronically ill and needs to rest often, I am aware of how much unwanted attention non-normative behaviour attracts. Could we challenge the behaviour we expect to see in public spaces by rehearsing and dancing in a public space like a gallery? ”
There are three ways to be involved in this research:
Share some thoughts with us in a short survey - we promise it’s short!
Attend an online 1hr 15 min workshop on Wednesday 24 June 1-2.15pm (limited to 10 people). To register your interest email uncharteredcollective@gmail.com. You will receive a £25 honorarium in recognition of your time.
Attend an online sharing of the research in late July (date TBC).
“We are aware that wisdom can be hard won and that it may not feel possible to share this in an online form. So we offer the workshop format for anyone who feels a group discussion may help them draw out, or articulate your wisdom. ”
Thank you for your interest in the research, we know that clicking on a link and engaging in a research question all take valuable spoons, so there are few ways we’d like to say thank you including receiving an emergency Cadbury’s chocolate bar in the post!
This research is commissioned by Touretteshero as part of the Knowledge for Change programme, funded by the Disability Justice Fund'.
The research team include Raquel Meseguer Zafe, Anna Starkey and Ania Varez with support from Touretteshero researchers Will Renel and Chloe Trainer.
Changing the World one Tic at a time
Knowledge for Change supports disabled thinkers to do research. We aim to challenge ideas about what counts as knowledge and where it comes from. We use the term “disabled thinkers” to describe any disabled person who creates and shares knowledge.