Julie Helen: 'We must support the arts more'

I had the pleasure of opening a superb art exhibition in the West End Art Studio in Mallow a few days ago.

It was such a compliment to be asked, especially when it was all about making art inclusive.

The artists in the Connecting Artists Collective Exhibition, run by Connections Art Centre, hail from all over the country.

Through the Connecting Artists programme, they hone their skills and also have a vibrant network of mentors and fellow artists to work with and progress their art.

Another element to this exhibition made it very close to my heart. All 17 artists who were exhibiting their work are neurodivergent or have an intellectual disability and they often don’t get the recognition or credit for their work that they should.

Actually, as a whole, artists in general do not get enough funding or support for us to value the arts as a way to make a living. Yet, we all want and need art in our lives to bring expression, colour, curiosity, and joy to our experiences.

We must support the arts more and particularly the talent of very under-represented and under-estimated groups. For me, art is really about using your voice in your own way, being creative, being heard, and being understood.

Article 30 of the United Nations Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities focuses on rights around participating in cultural life, but it importantly also sets out the conditions of enabling people with disabilities to develop and utilise their creative, artistic, and intellectual potential. This can involve providing access to education, training, and peer support in areas like arts, crafts, and sports.

This is bigger and wider than just providing people with access to art. It deals with intellectual property and sees a creative life as a really valid one.

As I spoke to the group on the evening, I shared with them how sometimes I forget to call myself a writer, despite the fact that I have spent my whole adult life engaging in writing and making it an integral part of my career.

I am often dismissive of a core piece of my endeavours because, as well as being part of my work, it is also my favourite hobby. It’s totally fine for it to be both, I just forget that sometimes and truly, being able to call writing both work and pleasure makes me extra lucky.

One of my favourite things about the evening was meeting my good friend and colleague Amy Begley, who was one of the exhibiting artists. Amy is an incredible artist and illustrator and I’ve been lucky to work with her on advocacy projects for years. I have always wanted to own one of her pieces so when I got the chance, I finally got a beautiful print of a sketch she did of the Coliseum in Rome. She draws what she sees in an exceptional way and I will be so proud to have it on my wall at home.

Amy joked that she would have given me a piece without having to buy it. However, I wanted to support her work and the notion art can be work, so good work should be paid for.

The Connecting Artists exhibition has an array of digital prints from the artists for sale and it will run again this weekend on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11am to 5pm each day. It is very easy to click a QR code and snap up a lovely piece and support these great artists in their endeavours.

It’s well worth seeing if you get the chance.