Bluecoat and Norton Priory Museum and Gardens launch a new inclusive arts project for young adults from Halton
In the tenth anniversary year of Bluecoat’s acclaimed Blue Room project, we are delighted to announce a new arts project for young adults with learning disabilities in Halton. Norton Priory Museum and Gardens will work with Bluecoat to develop and host this new weekly programme which will start in July with a series of summer taster days.
From September onwards a group of young adults will meet every Friday at Norton Priory. Working with an artist facilitator and guest artists, they will go on an exciting journey together, learning about contemporary art and artists, developing a range of art skills and creating their own artwork.
Blue Room Members often work collaboratively with each other and often with guest artists. In 2010 Sonia Boyce worked with the group to create Like: Love, a multimedia piece exploring the meaning of love. Like: Love revealed some of the challenges faced by people with learning disabilities in developing relationships, especially when barriers are imposed by other people, often with the best of intentions. Blue Room are currently working with Alice Odgers and Louise Waller from Baltic Clay on an anniversary ceramics collection to be revealed later this year. Members will be involved in our upcoming Family Weekend on 9 and 10 June and we will shortly launch the Blue Room archive as part of our My Bluecoat website.
In 2019 some of the new Blue Room members will be given the opportunity to help in the running of art clubs for local children from the Runcorn area.
Bluecoat’s Head of Engagement, Bec Fearon said: “We are so excited at taking Blue Room on the road. The project in Liverpool has had such a massive impact on everyone involved over the last ten years. This will enable more creative people to fulfill their potential, and in such a beautiful location.”
Frank Hargrave, Director of Norton Priory said: “We are delighted that Arts Council England have given us the support to bring this project to Norton Priory Museum and Gardens. Blue Room at Bluecoat is such a great programme and we are very much looking forward to developing our own version in partnership with Bluecoat.”