Chronic Creatives

01/10/2021

Attention femme creatives of colour with Lupus!

The wonderful is hosting some online get togethers to provide support and community for creative femme POC who live with Lupus. Link to learn more is in her bio!

[Image description:
Pink and yellow 3D boxes and circular platforms floating against a bright blue background featuring black text which reads "CALL OUT for Black / Brown / Asian / mixed heritage, female / non-binary, creatives with Lupus SLE. Want to connect with fellow warriors and be part of our campaign to raise awareness? Link in bio or email [email protected]."

28/07/2021

Really pleased to be working with on their open call for participants for INTO THE WILD 2021/22

We are now inviting applications for Into the Wild 2021/22 – a free, alternative artist development programme for recent BA graduates (1-4 years post graduation) and those who are at a similar stage in their creative practice but may not have attended art school. Please note this development programme is not open to MFA/MA students/graduates.

Are you wondering how to keep your practice alive after the effects of the pandemic? Have the lockdowns and isolating got you craving new inspiration and a new group of peers? Do you have big questions about the way things seem to be run in ‘the art world’? Want to learn how to ‘do it yourself’, make things happen and develop your art practice?

We are looking for artists who are open, good at listening, supportive of others, and interested in conducting critical and meaningful discussions with their peers.

You should have a desire to nurture your own development, to inject your practice with new inspiration and engage in this year-long programme.

Into the Wild specifically seeks to address the inequality that exists within access to development opportunities in the arts. If you are disabled/chronically ill/have a long term health condition we want you to know you will be supported - bonus you will have me as your tutor 👩‍🏫 If you identify as Black/brown/a POC and are concerned about having diverse staff please have a look at the list of tutors & mentors involved this year and consider applying!

*Join us in the ‘neo-anarchistic credo of ecstatic losers: “No one gets left behind!” (Quote from ‘Queer Art of Failure’ by Jack Halberstam about the movie Little Miss Sunshine) and help us to re-wild the art world!

Link for full details about the programme and how to apply. https://chisenhale.co.uk/studios/open-call-into-the-wild-2021-22/

Image descriptions - please DM. Any specific questions about access should be directed to Into the Wild.

02/07/2021

Happy Disability Pride Month Everyone!

Reposting these slides from because I think this message is very important. We have to be sure that our feeds are as diverse as possible if we are going to understand each other and the challenges we have, as well as the joys.

This month I challenge you to diversify your feeds and interact with content creators who are outside your comfort zone. How many accounts do you follow that consist of people from the global majority? Are you following accounts of people who have visible as well as invisible disabilities? Are you putting captions on videos you post? Are you writing image descriptions when you post content online? Access is important.

I think we can all take steps to make our content more accessible and diverse. We will get it “wrong” and that is ok. The perfect cannot be the enemy of the good.

Feel free to let me know in the comments how you will be challenging yourself to make your social media life more accessible and diverse 👇

Description for each slide will be in the comments.

29/06/2021

Thanks to for including me in this article on disability/chronic illness and dating for .
Link to the article https://collectiveconversationz.co.uk/opinionpieces/caapnhel3j7ab8wrgxstmb5n5gz3e2. TW for mentions of ableism and abusive relationships. Please DM for captions of images. Slides and rest of caption are a repost from .

“Wrote a piece on chronic illness , disability, s*x and dating for CCMAG . Here are some snippets of the interviews.

The BIGGEST thank you to , , and Pluto for taking the time and energy to share their experiences, stories and what they think could be done to better support people with chronic illnesses and disabilities too .

I also touched on what pi**es me off in terms of societal attitudes to dating someone like me who is disabled and included a few of my favourite Instagram accounts and content creators .

Link in my bio .

PS - I’m disgusted that we’re going on dates in 2021 and there’s no disabled toilet in the whole restaurant 😕 do MF better I’m tired .”

29/03/2021

Posted • Art in Flux: Reclaimed⁠
Join us at the launch Tuesday 30th of March, in collaboration with .⁠
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Curated By Olive Gingrich, Aphra Shemza & Maria Almena | Exhibition Design: Christopher Macinnes⁠
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The exhibition features eleven artists from the Art in Flux community; Aminder Virdee, Aphra Shemza & Stuart Batchelor, Camille Baker, Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, Enrique Agudo, Kimatica Studio, Natasha Trotman, Olive Gingrich & Shama Rahman and Ro Greengrass.⁠
⁠⁠
Free tickets via our link in Bio or below:⁠
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/art-in-flux-national-gallery-x-reclaimed-tickets-140309881633⁠
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Image credit:⁠
Aminder Virdee

27/03/2021

Today is the last in our series of disability benefits workshops with Lupus UK ! If you are a disabled person who has considered applying for a blue badge, join us today at 4pm GMT. You do not need to be a lupus patient or have a definitive diagnosis to attend.

These workshops are free but registration is essential. The link to book: https://www.lupusuk.org.uk/disability-benefits-workshops/

This workshop will have auto captions and accessible slides will be available to download from the Lupus UK website.

If you have attended any of the sessions so far we would love to hear from you! Send your feedback to [email protected].

Image descriptions will be posted in comments.

17/03/2021

Join us and Lupus UK this Saturday at 4pm for a workshop on applying for Disability Living Allowance for a child under 16.

LUPUS UK is working with a disability organisation to present a short series of workshops about disability benefits each Saturday from 27th February to 27th March 2021. The workshops intend to help people with lupus learn about disability benefits they may be eligible to apply for, as well as, learn...

13/03/2021

Join us and Lupus UK today from 4pm - 5:15pm for a workshop on Universal Credit with the disability element (formerly known as Employment and Support allowance). Here’s a little preview of what we will be covering in today’s session.

You do not need to be a Lupus patient or have a diagnosis to attend these sessions and they are completely free. There is still time to register before the workshop this afternoon. Link to book: https://www.lupusuk.org.uk/disability-benefits-workshops/.

This event has life auto-caption software and participants will be able to download slides for screen readers from the Lupus UK website.

[ID: An image of a light green PowerPoint slide with dark blue writing on it. Text reads “Overview” at the top followed by bullet points that say “What is the disability element of UC?, Brief History of Disability Benefits, Eligibility, Working while you claim, The legal stuff, Rates, Filling in the application form, Assessment, If your application is refused, Appeals, The hearing, UC tips, Resources.”]

12/03/2021

Next in the Disability Benefits workshop sessions with Lupus UK we will be covering Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or what is now known as the disability element of Universal Credit (UC).

ESA is a huge and pretty complex topic, so we have extended this session by 15 mins to make sure that we have time for everyone’s questions.This workshop will now run from 4pm - 5:15pm UK time, with a short break in between.

We will be covering: Eligibility for ESA, the legislation corresponding to ESA, filling in the claim form and how to appeal if your claim is denied.

Each session will be recorded and available on the Lupus UK website as an open resource. Accessible slides for the sessions are also available to download and use with a screen reader.

This series of events has live auto-caption software in place.
Please contact [email protected] with your access needs.

You do not need to be a Lupus patient or have a definitive diagnosis to attend!

These workshops are FREE but you must register to be able to get the Zoom link. Link to register: https://www.lupusuk.org.uk/disability-benefits-workshops/

[ID: A screenshot of the Disability Benefits workshop page on the Lupus UK website. There is blue and black text against a white background. At the top of the page there is an illustration showing disabled people of multiple ethnicities in a friendly looking group. Blue text above it reads “Disability Benefits Workshop Session 3: Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)”. Black text below the image reads “Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) - Saturday 13th March 2021, 4-5pm (GMT)”.]

11/03/2021

Today’s the day folks! Join us this evening for “Your Den” an event and discussion via drawing out and sharing elements of the Your Den project: pieces responding to the fabulous sound piece The Den 1, created by Sop . Featuring words and sound recordings from: Zuleika Lebow (founder of Chronic Creatives), Irene Revell , Sarah P, Ollie Simpson and Camille Francis Lerner .

Of the project, Sop writes:
“This project began early in the pandemic initially as a crucial desire for me to connect with others going through the same new experience of becoming a 'sheilder'. Beginning with listening to The Den 1, I asked to think about the concept of a den, a space which you can go to physically or metaphorically or in history at a time when we were not 'allowed' to leave the house.

Audio versions of the responses will be shared with images from the poster (made with E. Sanglante) and followed by a short discussion about what it has been like to be a sheilder during this past year.”

Sop, myself, Irene and Sarah will be in conversation for the event where you will be able to ask us questions. The event will not be recorded so remember to sign up if you want to join in. Link to book tickets is in my bio!

Huge thanks to Sop for inviting us all into their Den and for the posters in the 2nd image.
I strongly suggest anyone reading this to go and listen to The Den piece which is available via The Wellcome website. It’s a beautiful window into Sop’s world during shielding times.

Poster detail in 2nd image is a collaboration between Sop and E Sanglante and was commissioned by The Wellcome Collection.

Special thanks to for editing my contribution to the sound work.

This event will have live captions, however there will be no live audio description track. Instead, participants will describe themselves at the start of the event.

Image description in comments.

06/03/2021

Join us this afternoon at 4pm for the second in our free series of workshops with Lupus UK is all about the Mobility aspect of PIP. We will be covering eligibility, how to fill in the claim form, and what activities are relevant for you to qualify to receive the mobility component of Personal Independence Payment.

You do not need to be a Lupus patient, or have a diagnosis to attend. This session is particularly relevant for anyone who suffers from a mental health condition which limits their ability to leave the house unaided, and for those who have difficulty walking.

If you have any questions please email us at [email protected]

These workshops are free to attend. Link to book: https://www.lupusuk.org.uk/disability-benefits-workshops/

[ID: An image of a blue PowerPoint slide with green and white writing and a blue and white image on it. In the top left hand corner of the slide there is a purple Lupus UK logo. Light green text under this reads “PIP: Mobility. Louise Galinsky - Disability Benefits Specialist.”To the right of this is a blue and white image depicting various types and aspects of disability, from wheelchair users to use if hearing aids.]

04/03/2021

For I figured I would share where my books live/what I am currently reading.

My grandfather built this bookcase, it’s the most treasured piece of furniture I own. It’s packed full at the moment and I quite enjoy the fact that the books aren’t organised any particular way other than by what fits on the shelf.

I tend to read several books at once, especially if I’m studying. They all expand my thinking in different ways, and sometimes I find there’s a common thread in what I’m reading even though ostensibly they’ve all been chosen at random. Usually I read one for fun, one for academic study and one for witch study (sometimes they wind up being the same). Let me know what you’re reading in the comments!

[ID: 1: Image of Zuleika’s bookshelf. It is white with four tiers and is stacked full of books and chachkis.
2: A picture of 4 books laid out on a light pink fuzzy carpet. From left to right titles read: Pedagogy of the Oppressed - Pauli Freire, Queen of Olympos: A Devotional Anthology for Hera and Iuno - various authors, Helping Students Take Control of Everyday Executive Functions - Paula Moraine, The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula K. Le Guin.]