A Typical Collective

COMMUNITY NEWS Newly formed Bristol-based A Typical Collective create a mural in Stokes Croft

Newly formed Bristol-based A Typical Collective create a mural in Stokes Croft which celebrates their

In August, A Typical Collective, supported by PAPER Arts CIC and local emerging muralists Tanith Gould and Yoli Ward-Streeter, will be taking over PRSCs Outdoor Gallery in Stokes Croft. As a celebration of their diverse, creative practices and the end of the course that brought them together, A Typical Collective will be painting the 50ft wall on Jamaica Street. The collective met during the Creative Employment Programme, a 6-month course for creatives with learning disabilities, Autism and ADHD which supported them to gain the skills and experience necessary to make a start in Bristol’s artistic community. As one member of the group described it, the course was “like being at an art school but with all the best bits” where facilitators and guest speakers “encouraged us to explore our practice [and] gave us permission to be ourselves.” The programme was run by PAPER Arts (based in St. Pauls) who help young creatives build networks and establish creative careers. The course was funded by Bristol City Council and the Mural generously supported by Nisbet Trust.

Inspired by an online session with Iconic Black Britons founder Michelle Curtis, the group set their sights on designing a large-scale outdoor artwork together.

The mural is intended to represent their individual practices and the collective as a whole, showcasing the diverse skills and interests of creatives who happen to have disabilities. A Typical Collective are: Beth Richards, Gabriel Nissen, Josie Ewers, Nicola Willis and Serafina Kiszko. When we start to think about who gets to decide what art goes where and by who, we can see that very few spaces in our city represent and are accessible to disabled citizens. A Typical Collective’s wall, up during the month of August, is about creatives with disabilities taking up space in the public realms that often present barriers to them. The mural is a celebratory collage of the collective’s diverse creative practices - from activism and performance, ceramics, textiles to upcycling.

People’s Republic of Stokes Croft have kindly loaned their wall for the project. They are campaigning for more public street art in Bristol’s rapidly gentrifying and privatised streets. PSRC celebrates the value and beauty of the art in the streets and calls out the hypocrisy of the Bristol authorities who market Bristol as a home of graffiti while criminalising those engaged in the act of making it. A Typical Collective’s mural is a celebration of the powerful and affirming messages street art can convey.