Gill Crawshaw’s advert on Curatorspace (www.curatorspace.com) caught my attention. Bringing textiles and recycling two of my passions, together within the remit of my life experience. I didn’t dream that it would lead me to create such a profound piece of artwork or receive the attention my artwork, Gills work and the exhibition received.

Frances Ryan’s article Disabled artists use their skills to highlight ‘shoddy and cruel’ treatment over benefits on page 15 of The Observer on the Sunday 3rd April 2016 gave wonderful promotion and focus on the Shoddy exhibition.

My Storytelling coat was exhibited in the Exhibition in Leeds and was pictured and quoted in the article.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/apr/03/disabled-artists-use-skills-to-highlight-shoddy-treatment-over-benefits

and in the Shoddy blog.  https://shoddyexhibition.wordpress.com/

My life experience of the medical and social systems effects on disability, has led to an interest in the roots of these issues. I have become acutely aware of the storytelling spin and lies political organisations use to further their own causes and the immense effect they wield by widely censoring spin output and preventing other opinions from being shown in demonstrations, media and the press . My research has looked at the educational, familial,and psychological development for authority figures who have power in political, social and disability policy and decisions. Their unexamined wounds and inability to cope with emotion and vulnerability and their need to annihilate it when they see it, due to their childhood experience and brainwashing in the educational institution’s.

Nick Duffel’s work influenced and affirmed some of my own ideas.There has been overt attempts to rewrite a story with no illness or disability, powerlessness or vulnerability. Openly rewriting a story believing they can cure and change illness and disability with hard work. The excellent research at the University of Glasgow opened my eyes and drove me to the need of my creation.(Briant, E., Watson, N. and Philo, G. (2011) Bad News for Disabled People: How the Newspapers are Reporting Disability. Project Report. Strathclyde Centre for Disability Research and Glasgow Media Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.)

When in fact they cannot effect these changes. Further humiliating sick and disabled people in an attempt to kill them off and make them disappear. I made the storytelling coat to tell my truth and confront the lies and spin.

The frontipiece shows prose from Spoonie_united on Instagram

a definition of Ableism and Disability.

The outer purple coat extols the amazing virtues of disabled people while the inner lining lists the conservative cabinet , the 312 conservative MP ‘s who voted for cuts in Earnings support allowance and the victims on Calums’ list (www.calumslist.org/) of benefit cuts.

Many thanks to Gill Crawshaw, Angie Wyman Course leader RSNDegree and my fellow artists for creating such a great exhibition.

My Story telling coat is displayed at Batley Museum and Art Gallery till the 11th June 2016