These artworks are a creative response to an arts-based research project I held at Rainbow Hub, an LGBTQI+ drop-in space in Brighton. During the research workshops I used images from the UK 1984/5 Miners’ Strike to open up creative discussions with participants.
As the grandchild of a miner who went on strike, and as someone who is bisexual, I was interested in how these areas of my identity were connected and how they might connect with others. This research also focused on hidden narratives of solidarity responding to bell hooks’ (2009) assertion that we live in a white supremacist, capitalist patriarchy – which affects what is remembered in history.
During the workshops we explored making artworks together through collage, zine and badge-making; using these artworks to open up discussions between us. I became interested in the intergenerational conversations that took place, and the themes that emerged from them: community, empathy and resistance.
After the workshops finished in December 2019, a devastating election took place, and while working on my creative response the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. My artworks not only reflect on the themes of the workshops, they relate to my experiences during these uncertain times, exploring new ways of connecting with people and highlighting the importance of collective care.
See full exhibition here; megan-pickering-inclusive-arts.show
Davidson, M. del G. and Yancy, G. (eds) (2009). Critical perspectives on bell hooks. New York: Routledge.
