Bio

I live in Bristol in the UK and I am inspired by the complex emotional social and physical world we live in – humans, animals, plants. I am interested in the complex interconnectedness of it all. I love mediums that are soft and expressive – biro, soft pastel, collage, textiles. I love to combine and build up textures and imagery to create something complex and combinatory. I make my work for any human being who is open to it. I hope my work will be helpful for people looking for ways to be present with their emotional experience as a human being in a messy, complex, often emotionally damaged society, built environment and natural world.

Artist Statement 

I’m currently working on a small diamond shaped piece of fabric, which I am embroidering in an intuitive unconscious way and am thinking of combining in some way with future pieces, like piecing together a story. The imagery that has come to me through this piece includes caterpillars, undergrowth, darkness, silken web-like secretions, and a magical circus tent!

Why MW is important

 Participating in the Communication Cards project was important for me as these cards help me to really validate my needs and feel confident expressing them to loved ones – which is a surprisingly hard thing to do due to the way our society teaches us to hide our needs.

Bio

Northern born Caroline Cardus is an artist activist in the Disability Arts Movement. Text and narrative is an important part of Cardus’ work, which is often about distilling an idea down to its simplest form. Cardus works collaboratively as well as individually to tell stories of lived experience from disability and feminist perspectives.

Artist Statement 

Cardus was a recipient of the Adam Reynolds Memorial Bursary in 2011, resident at BALTIC in Gateshead, where she charted Disability Rights Activist Barbara Lisicki’s dark journey through the NHS by exchanged text messages, in A Message from Barbara. 

In 2018 and 2019 Cardus worked with Tate Modern, first on the LDN WMN project with Tate Collective, producing a public art installation, Fight On. In 2019 she worked with Tate’s social and curatorial team and Better Bankside on a poster campaign, From The Other Side, producing an image called What Did You Think She Was Gonna Do?

In July 2022 Cardus was part of 30 disabled artists taking part in a nationwide DaDa intervention in galleries called We Are Invisible, We Are Visible (#WAIWAV) funded by DASH Arts. Her intervention, FED UP, was shown at Milton Keynes Gallery.

Cardus also works as a creative producer, advocate and mentor for other artists.

Why MW is important

Magical Women is important because it is artist led and has been built from scratch. Elinor does this by managing illness, chronic conditions and always has space for others. It is an important space in the arts.

Bio

Irish, queer, neurodivergent (bipolar & autism) artist living in London. Trainee art psychotherapist. Also loves to write, rollerskate and surfskate. Is usually extremely angry at technology and having to do admin. Has a “survivor writers” residency and working on a play. Works with neurodivergent and /or disabled young people around their well- being. 

Artist Statement 

 I draw, paints, sculpts clay and use mixed media.I make illustrated narrative art and illustrated poetry. I love the escapism of fantasy landscapes and mythical creatures. I make a lot of subconscious and intuitive art where I allow images to appear spontaneously and then continue from there. Art has always been a way to help me cope with the world and a way to express myself where words fail. 

Bio

I am a Neurodivergent Artist based at Rogue Studios, Manchester and I make solo and participatory performances that involve movement, music, film, dress-up, sensory materials, special effects, gesture, speech, words and pictograms. This year I trained remotely online with ParaDance UK to develop my inclusive dance practice for my own work and to share with others. I am influenced by my everyday life experiences being a person with ADHD and autism, being a carer and home educator, child-led play and celebrating my neurodivergent sensory joy.

Artist Statement 

This year has seen an important shift in my practice with a focus on Sensory Movement made with and for the neurodivergent community. I am an artist who faced many personal barriers when it came to accessing dance classes in physical spaces due to my sensory challenges, this inspired me to facilitate movement in a digital online environment. I have been combining my ParaDance skills in seated movement, sensory materials, repetition, rocking, stimming, and self-care cool down routines.

Why MW is important

I was commissioned by Magical Women to facilitate an online sensory movement session that included dancing with our hair and using colourful pieces of fabric. It is my intention to deliver a further series of monthly online sensory movement sessions in the near future and this opportunity became a guiding tool for my own facilitation. I just wanted to say a personal thank you Elinor (founder of MW) as you are the first person I have seen facilitating the highest quality delivery online for ND women in such a strong artistic way. I have wanted to use pre-recorded material before but never seen it done in practice until I attended your Making Space sessions and I was like wow yes this makes sense to me so thankyou for showing the way with this.