New exhibition in Mansfield sparks conversations about disability

Jason & his Argonauts has involved the artist working with disabled communities around the UK to design new works that explore themes of disability.

The exhibition runs until Saturday 9 March 2024 and features sculptures, giant inflatables, lightbox digital paintings and even ornate wallpaper. Visitors can download a free augmented reality app on to their mobile phones so they can fully interact with the exhibition.

Executive Mayor Andy Abrahams, who officially opened the exhibition, said: “It is an exciting and thought-provoking exhibition and suitable for all ages, with plenty of bright colours and interactive features.

“It is completely free to view and the museum is very accessible for wheelchair users. I hope his work could be an inspiration for disabled people to create art themselves.

“It is fantastic for Mansfield that we have artists of Jason’s international stature exhibiting here and this has only been possible due to Arts Council England funding.”

At the opening, the Mayor met with three young people with disabilities who are currently working at the museum.

Abby Storer is on a supported internship from Portland College; Harry Wynn is on a supported work placement from West Notts College; and Ellie Overton is on the council’s Better by Change project.

This is a National Lottery funded scheme which aims to improve the representation of disability in Cultural Services. She is one of five employees with disabilities being enrolled by the authority on a 12-month fixed-term contract.

The centrepiece of the exhibition is Jason’s most ambitious work to date - a 10 metre long inflatable sculpture which has been designed so that visitors can walk through it and interact with images inside the ‘tunnel’ which is richly decorated and has been scanned digitally to feature in Jason’s augmented reality universe.

The giant sculpture relates people’s stories from the Changing Places movement – a campaign calling for fully accessible toilets for disabled adults and children to be installed in all large public venues throughout the UK.

The facilities provide a dignified and hygienic option for people who need and deserve it. They feature a height adjustable adult changing bench, a ceiling track hoist, a peninsular toilet with space for two assistants, a privacy screen along with practical items such as wide paper rolls, a large waste disposal bin, a backrest on the toilet seat and a height-adjustable wash basin.

Mansfield District Council is currently in the process of creating two Changing Places – in Mansfield Museum and at the Four Seasons Shopping Centre – after being awarded £183,200 by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

The exhibition has been made possible thanks to funding from Arts Council England, after the council successfully became a National Portfolio Organisation in 2022. It follows on from Jason’s giant inflatable being installed in Mansfield Market Place as part of the wider OneFest event in July.