Project Craig involved a series of creative workshops in London and the South East engaging children, young people and their carers in making art. Video footage taken during the workshops was edited in consultation with the participating groups.
Project Craig was conceived with two main aims in mind. The first was to run a series of art based workshops with children and adults who have complex learning impairments, where the activity and approach was determined by the specific needs and abilities of each participant. We used painting and drawing processes in a direct and sensory manner enabling each person to make images and marks regardless of their cognitive or physical ability.
The second was to positively affect attitudes towards difference by showing installations in public spaces of art and films made during the workshops.
We wanted to try and communicate something significant and moving about difference; about the humanity and lives of young people and adults who have profound impairments to people who may not normally encounter this.
Impairment exists in every community across race, gender and social class. This project aimed to celebrate and acknowledge the vitality and individuality of the project participants within their own communities.
The films made during the project workshops were shown in public spaces on Imagebox at The Brighton Festival (May 2000), The Millennium Dome (December 2000) and Woolwich Town Hall (January 2001). We also produced a public exhibition at the De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea (November/December 2000) and the Project Craig publication (published July 2001).
The works and accompanying films from the workshops were shown in public in order to make visible the individuality of each participant. The clarity of a person’s character and nature can be revealed through their mark making and way of engaging with materials and processes. It was our hope that this clarity would be communicated through public installations of films and an exhibition.
