is what Anna Farthing, Arts Programme Director for University Hospitals Bristol said when she walked in to our exhibition "Invisible Army - Voices of unpaid carers." @invisiblearmy20 In the same sentence she also said: "..... but the content is superb." If it wasn't for us trying to stay 2m apart and both of us wearing face marsks to adhere to health and safety rules I could have hugged her.
When you as Carina and I have a project we believe is amazing but know it will be a struggle to convince participants that their lives are worth showing and writing about, you come to face a lot of hurdles. Artspace Lifespace has given us the space this week to try out what visually works as an exhibition with both words and images and to invite potenciel participants and exhibitors so the project can grow in to what we have dreamed of. The mounts are from a community project I curated year 2000 and the thin black card and thick paper is what we had in our drawers. the velcro dots to hang the pictures with are leftovers from a This Is Us exhibition I did in 2019. We got a year's work on the wall and we are both proud to show the photographs and the stories.
Carina and I have not been paid a penny for all the hours we have spent on finding carers, communicating with them, visiting, editing, writing, visiting again, sorting release forms, many hours have gone in to what both of us would like to do for a living. To pay our rent and feed our families Carina works as a carer and I work as an exam invigilator. We are so lucky that Lucie Akerman from The Island is helping us find funding and write proposals to hopefully be able to continue the exciting path we are already on.
On our first day visitors spent time reading and watching and a few came out with teary eyes and heavy hearts because what we are showing is emotional and exceptional. What all the carers have given us are their lives as they are: No filters. We are truly grateful to be able to unite all these wonderful people who give so much to the people they look after but also contribute to our society.
The exhibition is open at The Vestibules @thevestibules City Hall, Bristol Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th September 10am to 4pm. Please call 07800588394 bo book an appointment. Because of Covid 19 we only let one bubble in at the time.
It would be lovely to see you and the exhibition looks really good from a distance!!!!!
Tina Gue