ExpressionsArts Festivalreturnsto celebrateits10th anniversary A festival of contemporary art and music returns this month (July) after a two year pause and celebrates its tenth anniversary with an ambitious new exhibition. Imagined Landscapes, showcases artwork created by artists supported by the Bristol-based social care charity Milestones Trust through its Expressions creative arts programme. Expressions encourages participants living with mental health needs and learning disabilities to develop new creative skills. The progressive annual programme has a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing, as well as making the arts more accessible. The contemporary exhibition at Paintworks in Bristol will be the culmination of the year-long programme of creative arts workshops run by artists. The theme this year is the ‘Imagined Landscape’ and the captivating and thought-provoking exhibits on show explore the ways that landscape is understood and imagined, both individually and on a collective level. Through the work audiences are invited to consider the landscapes they experience, to explore shared and individual imaginings and to respond to these as witnesses and collaborators. 14
The exhibition includes work made in collaboration with international photographer Barry Cawston, sculptor Tina Brown, painter Ben Bishop, video artist Giles Webberley and portrait painter William Oxer. Louise Copping, Expressions Artist and Curator, said: "As an artist collective we are thrilled to be able to present exciting new work this year. We have been collaborating with other artists to develop works that considers changed and changing landscape, both internally and externally. The works this year explore nature, geology and the climate emergency as well as human connection and our inner experiences of the land and landscape through time.” Emma Grant, long term Artist collaborator, said: “In our work we have been striving to find the uncanny in the everyday, to challenge the status quo and to imagine a new world through art making. With the group show we are advocating for collective, cross-disciplinary collaboration in pursuit of togetherness and equality as a way of life.” Artist Ben Bishop added: “I feel excited to have my work exhibited at such and illustrious show. And more than that, I feel proud to be associated with such meaningful impacts as those made by Expressions Art studios.
