Name: Heart of Glass
Price range: $

Assessors and responders collaborated to create artwork which addressed accessibility, resources and opportunities for people with disabilities in St Helens.

Open the Door was a project in collaboration with the Citi-Dis-Arts group, artists and collaborators Michelle Wren, Naoise Martin, Ann Whitehurst and Jude Woods.

All pariticpants were divided in to two groups; assessors and responders. Each week the assessors visited St Helens Town Center to assess and document places with good or bad access, bringing back their findings to share with all the collaborators. The responders would create artistic reponses using varying techniques and mediums.

The project responded to issues of employment opportunities for disabled people in the town, accessibility and planned suggestions for improvements such as creating sensory rooms in stadia.

Two people walk, with their backs to us. They are walking on pavement next to a brick wall. One person, in a black leather jacket holds a canvas bag over their shoulder. The other in a purple tracksuit pulls a trolley which holds red triangular signs.

A large stone set of steps leads up to the front of a building. At the bottom of the stairs, attached to the handrail is a red triangular sign. There is also some tape wrapped around the handrails.

A person sits in a room with a brick wall and folded trestle behind them. They hold up a large piece of paper with a red triangular sign on it. On the table in front of them are many pieces of paper with drawing and more signs.

The group then made a number of art drops around the town, taking large copies of the artworks created in workshops and personalised letters for businesses and venues. The artworks depicted the positive and negative access qualities and the letters gave friendly suggestions or praise with hazard signs and trophies handed out. With each art drop an invitation to an end-of-project showcase event was included where artworks and further conversation around access were shared.

The art response group is made up of Chris Coffey, Peter Freeman, Angela Friar, Rachel Friar, Sue Norris, Graham Rudge, Richard Smith, Geoff Tinsley and Ken Wallace.