The support learning disabled people receive to be artists is really important. As part of our research we wanted to work with social care sector professionals in the region, like commissioners, social workers and support staff, to work towards better connections between social care, learning disabled artists and arts organisations. 

We are doing this by running a series of creative workshops. The workshops are an opportunity to network, to identify common challenges and celebrate and share successes. They are also aim to enable artists to share their work with professionals and discuss their support in ways that matter to them.

In our first workshop artists Alfie and Liam shared their creative practices and what drives them to be artists.

We then made a piece of artwork together with social care professionals in the studio and discussed what it means to have an artist identity. Is art something we just do? Or is being an artist who we are?