The Value of Care Exhibition: Arts based Public Engagement
SSCR colleagues take part in the ESRC Festival of Social Sciences.
On Wednesday the 21st of October artist Becky Whinnerah, Professor Katherine Runswick-Cole and Dr Tom Ryan gave a panel discussion chaired by Dr Antonios Ktenidis as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Sciences. The talk was a launch for The value of care exhibition: Arts based public engagement, which is an exhibition showcasing Becky’s work producing art from two NIHR funded projects: Tired of Spinning Plates (HSDR) and No one wants to talk about it (SSCR). These projects explored the mental health experiences of family carers supporting adults with learning disabilities, the relationships between these family members, and how they navigate major life transitions together. Touching on the practical and financial difficulties of being a family carer, as well as the emotional experiences, the collection powerfully illustrates both the challenges, and joys, of caring. In both projects Becky, who is an artist and family carer, collaborated to produce artwork based on research findings and data extracts.
Value of Care Exhibition
A selection of photos from the Value of Care Exhibition
The artwork was displayed in the Hide cafe in Sheffield, with visual descriptions accessible in text and audio form. Alongside this, the exhibition included information about Becky’s journey as an artist and postcards of the art. The panel discussion was chaired by Dr Antonios Ktenidis who took time to create a welcoming space for questions. The conversation focused on the process of how Becky used the data and how academics can work with artists to produce accessible findings and conduct meaningful public engagement. The panel shared their favourite artworks from the project and then questions were taken from the audience. Attendees asked for more detail about Becky’s process of creating the artwork, with Becky answering by showing her sketchbook. Other audience members were also interested in where this work may go in the future, and the potential spaces that the panel felt the art could be exhibited. The panel discussion was then finished and attendees were invited to look again at the artwork and spend some time chatting to round off an exciting and engaging evening.
You can view the artwork on the project websites: No one wants to talk about it, and Tired of Spinning Plates. Becky’s work can be followed on Instagram and LinkedIn.