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Five local artists taking part in a project hosted by Pure Innovations will have their ceramics showcased in an exhibition launching 27th November at the Manchester Craft & Design Centre.
Pure Art Studios Sam Bradley, Jennifer Hinchcliffe, James Kingsford, Emma Slater and Dylan Yardley will have their creative ceramics work shown until the New Year at an exhibition: ‘Creative Share: Excellent, Exciting, Endless Possibilities,’ which opens at Manchester Craft & Design Centre, on Oak Street, in Manchester’s Northern Quarter from 27th November.
The artists have been taking part in ‘Creative Share’, a six-month project supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. Creative Share has brought ceramicist Laura Negus to Pure Art Studios, which offers a place where people with a learning disability and an interest in art can develop their skills and thrive, sharing their experience and ideas.
The exhibition is a showcase of the ceramics created at Pure Art Studio by artists working with Laura. Each artist has taken inspiration from their own lives, interests, and experiences. What joins them together is an appreciation of clay as a medium for connecting us.
Pure Innovations Arts Facilitator Abigail Betton said:
“Exhibiting is really important to us and our artists. It challenges perceptions around who is and who isn’t an artist. It also challenges some of those negative perceptions around what people with a learning disability can and can’t achieve.
“The team at Manchester Craft and Design Centre have approached the exhibition with us in a really collaborative manner, visiting Pure Arts Studio on a number of occasions to get to know our artists and learn about their work.
“Working together Laura and our artists – Sam, Jennifer, James, Emma and Dylan – made decisions on what they will show, how it will be displayed, titles and colour schemes. The result is something they can all be really proud of and hope as many people as possible take the opportunity to come and see their fantastic work.”
Pure Art Studio is part of Pure Innovations. The Stockport based charity helps people with disabilities and disadvantaged groups to lead fulfilled lives, including employment.
Admission to Manchester Craft & Design Centre is free, with the exhibition open 10am-5.30pm. The exhibition runs until early in the New Year. Stockport residents can also visit Vernon Park to see an exhibition of work produced by Pure’s Artist in Residence Laura Negus.
Photo: Pure Artists Dylan, Sam, Laura, Jennifer and James visit the gallery at MCDC to plan their exhibition with Curator Laura Feltham.