News | Wednesday, 18th September 2019

Researcher inspires compelling artworks for arts, health and wellbeing festival

Academics involved in disability and society and end-of-life themes for this year’s SICK! Festival

University staff are involved in events across Sick! Festival, taking place in Manchester until October 5
University staff are involved in events across Sick! Festival, taking place in Manchester until October 5

A Manchester Metropolitan researcher has supported the creation of an evocative artwork displayed on the Metrolink network that shines a light on health inequalities often experienced by those with learning disabilities and autism.

Graphic Encounters, developed with the University and the LGBT Foundation, reveals the experiences of women in Manchester through a series of illustrated narratives, particularly related to their health and wellbeing. The works are part of SICK! Festival (September 18-October 5), the biennial arts festival exploring difficult conversations around issues of mental and physical health.

Dr Lucy Burke, researcher in the Department of English exploring the relationships between disability, community and the arts , played a key role in shaping the disability and society strand of this year’s SICK! Festival, which features a number of new commissions, performances and installations drawn together to explore the question, ‘What is the value of a life?’

She is one of a number of University researchers and staff who have played a significant role in this year’s SICK! Festival.

Dr Burke interviewed a woman with learning difficulties and autism about her life, work, and experiences of navigating health and social services, which was transformed into a powerful work of graphic art by Finnish graphic artist Kaisa Leka. 

Dr Lucy Burke worked with artist Kaisa Leka on Graphic Encounters

She is researcher on D4D, an AHRC-funded research project into disability and community, with a particular interest in using arts-based approaches to explore questions of community, identity, equality and inclusion.

She said: “SICK! Festival offers thought-provoking performances, artworks and conversations that open up new perspectives on issues that people often find difficult to talk about.

“As someone who campaigns for social justice and inclusion alongside people with learning disabilities and autism, I hope that these artworks will make people think and reconsider their assumptions about what matters about people and what we value about our lives.”

Dr Burke has also helped to programme a day-long panel event that looks deeper into issues affecting people with disabilities, including cuts to care services, technology, representation and the media, genetic screening and life expectancy. 

Researchers are also involved in the End of Life strand, and will sit on the panel for another day of conversation and discussion, joining clinical practitioners, artists and those with profound personal experiences of end-of-life care, to explore the emotions and ethical dilemmas that they have to address when confronting death head-on.

Meanwhile, Research in Arts and Humanities has partnered with the LGBT Foundation to produce the Rainbow Death Café, a “chance to talk openly about death and dying, exploring the subject with particular reference to the experiences of people in the LGBTQI community.”

SICK! Festival will offer, for the first time this year, a ‘pay between scheme’ allowing audiences of all incomes to pay what they feel they can afford to attend the performance, installations and events over the course of the three week festival.

Helen Medland, CEO/Artistic Director, said: “SICK! Festival exists to explore areas of life we just don’t talk about enough, allowing us to have conversations about fundamental issues that will affect us all at one time or another. This year’s festival is no different – often provocative, always engaging.”

Visit the Sick! Festival website to find out more and book tickets.

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