Adult and Community Services

Art Blanche

What is Art Blanche?

Art Blanche is art produced by people with learning disabilities, many of whom also have complex needs/physical disabilities. Various art projects have been produced by service users who attend Heathlands and Riverside day centres in Barking and Dagenham.

The valuing people white paper

Valuing People is the government's plan for making the lives of people with learning disabilities, their families and carers better.

It was written in 2001, and it was the first White Paper for people with learning disabilities for 30 years. It covers England.

It is based on people having:

Their rights as citizens
Inclusion in local communities
Choice in daily life
Real chances to be independent

It was written with help from people with learning disabilities, family carers, and people who work in services or other organisations for people with learning disabilities.

Using art

Art Blanche seeks to use art to touch and change people's lives. Our way of working is unique. It is built on 3 things:

Quality
Integrity
Diversity

Our art is owned by the people who make it.

We aim to:

Widen and promote disabled people's visual presence in the borough by use of their artistic talents
Work towards a fully accessible arts environment
Provide opportunities for people with learning disabilities to participate in the arts on their own terms by identifying individual aspirations and wishes, abilities, skills and choices to ensure a person centred approach to enhancing artistic talent
Integrate disabled people into various groups and networks including voluntary sector, community arts development, theatre group and community organisations
Maximise disabled people's individual abilities and skills by engaging them in innovative, stimulating and exciting creativity projects
Empower disabled people through pursuing artistic means to grow and develop in order to share learning with others

We have undertaken a number of art projects during the last few years:

Town Show/Ocean World|

Out of Africa (Giraffes)|

Chinese Dragon (Bridge)|

Paper|

Touch and Feel|

Jigsaw|

For further information please contact Geraldine Bowker at the address shown.