Although climate change disproportionately impacts disabled people – being less able to safely evacuate in extreme weather, for example – this part of our population has “no visible input into discussions and solutions”, as campaigners such as Disability Rights UK have highlighted.
The show, All Round Hullabaloo, in collaboration with community initiative Green and Healthy Frome, challenged how learning disabled people are overlooked in debate.
The project involved four local creative practitioners working with the artists to share their sensory responses to an evolving climate.
The aim was to showcase the beauty in the natural world and reflect anxiety around global warming and waste.
Jade Ogden, a handloom weaver, was among the practitioners collaborating with Open Storytellers for the show at Black Swan Arts in Frome.
Ogden and the collective looked at locally grown fibres and how they can be used in fashion, producing wool pieces for the exhibition.
Ogden, who brought in handlooms, needle felting, embroidery tools and natural dye plants, said: “We talked about the story of the emperor’s new clothes and thought about how members could become influencers in their local community by making locally grown, biodegradable clothing.”
