Young people with sight or hearing loss have been given access to artworks through a new exhibition, with support from a north-east sensory loss charity.
The members of the Young People’s Sensory Service (YPSS) in Dundee run by North East Sensory Services (NESS) visited an exhibition at the University of Dundee designed to be more accessible for people with sight loss.
Workshops with YPSS members with hearing or sight loss were held at Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA) aimed at helping young people with sensory loss enjoy art.
These inspired designer Jinyu ‘Eevee’ Han, in creating her latest exhibition - Making Sense: a multi-sensory approach to art.
Eevee, a PhD student at the university’s Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design (DJCAD), worked with the YPSS members and people from Dundee Sight Support & Social Hub to develop methods of interpretation for people with sight loss.
Eevee showing the artworks to YPSS members.
These include artworks with accompanying 3D tactile models describing the original pieces, with cues to represent colour.
Other artworks have been designed to be touched directly, and the exhibition also features braille and audio descriptions.
Eevee facilitated the interactive workshops after receiving sensory awareness training from NESS.
Children and teenagers from the YPSS Dundee group recently visited the exhibition at the university’s Tower Foyer Gallery.
Paul Gault, DJCAD lecturer and co-supervisor for Eevee’s PhD, said: "It’s great working in partnership with NESS through the workshops that were hosted at the art gallery.
“Some of the young people were at the DCA for the first time. The initial impression of an art gallery might be that they are very visually orientated, so if you’re sight impaired, you may not have considered visiting.
“The workshops and the exhibition visit have been really positive as it’s something that’s catering specifically for these young people.
“As it’s the focus of the whole Making Sense exhibition, the young people were really happy following their visit and enjoyed getting the chance to explore what was on offer. A lot of this involved feeling and touching the tactile models on display.”
Exploring the artworks.
NESS supports thousands of blind and deaf people, and those with visual and hearing loss, across Angus, Dundee, Moray, Aberdeen, and Aberdeenshire.
The charity’s main objective is to help people with sensory loss live as independently as possible.
NESS runs YPSS groups in Aberdeen, Moray, Dundee and Angus, offering tailored practical and emotional support to them and their families.
The service also involves clubs, groups, and a school holiday activity programme and is aimed at increasing confidence, independence, social skills and ambition in children.
Diana Daneels, YPSS coordinator at NESS, said: “We had such an amazing experience. The young people got completely involved in Eevee’s exhibition, and felt it helped them being included in the art experience.
“The exhibition was geared towards sight loss, but our young people with hearing loss enjoyed it as well as it brought an extra dimension to the artwork and made it more interactive. We all enjoyed the workshops immensely.”
DCA and Eevee are hosting a workshop for adults with sight loss on Saturday August 1, exploring the exhibition In the Forest Ruins by Ecuadorian artist Adrián Balseca.
For more information and to book tickets, visit https://www.dca.org.uk/events/BOb-making-sense-artwork-tour/