Ebony Wightman - We Are Studios

Speaker 1 00:04

With information on the latest developments in assistive technology and initiatives, from the studios of 2RPH in Sydney, RPH Australia brings you AbleQuest.

Speaker 2 00:20

you

Speaker 1 00:22

Hello, I'm Barbara Sullivan. 10% of Australia's population lives or works in Western Sydney. It's a diverse community representing people of many cultural backgrounds and abilities. Today's guest, Ebony Whiteman, lives in Western Sydney.

Speaker 1 00:39

Ebony belongs to a special diverse group of artists, aged 16 to 85, who live with a disability. Ebony has autism as well as an autoimmune disease which affects her respiratory system. Others in the group have mental health issues or chronic disease, but they all share a passion for art and for supporting each other.

Speaker 1 01:01

We Are Studios is a fully disability -led inclusive studio established by a community of artists. 13 of the artists are now presenting their work at the Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre running until October 28.

Speaker 1 01:16

They will be guided workshops and a multi -sensory exhibition. Elaine John -Tex spoke to Ebony about her creative community and how it has given her purpose, as well as the art exhibition, which is supported by the NSW government through Creative NSW.

Speaker 3 01:35

Welcome to the program Ebony.

Speaker 2 01:38

Thank you, Elena, so nice to be chatting with you today.

Speaker 3 01:41

Can you tell us about your community of artists and how you got involved with them?

Speaker 2 01:49

Well, we're a big community of artists. The current exhibition is 13 artists, and we have been working together for the past 10 weeks at Blacktown Arts. Our community kind of was established by a group of us who decided that disability inclusion really should start with us.

Speaker 2 02:09

And so we thought, let's make our own organization and do our best to become practicing artists. And of course, my name's Ebony, and I am one of the car founders of Weyya Studio.

Speaker 3 02:22

So Ebony, you've got an interesting name. Ebony, I always think of black and white men as white.

Speaker 2 02:27

Yeah, my parents, they only realize that a few years ago, then I'm like, mom, dad, I'm a walking oxymoron. It's a bit bizarre, but, you know, my siblings are all jade and amber as well. So we're all semi -precious stones.

Speaker 3 02:42

I'm sure you're very precious stones.

Speaker 2 02:44

Well, no, we couldn't make no South Lions with the white diamond.

Speaker 3 02:48

Oh dear. So we are studios just started this year, didn't it?

Speaker 2 02:53

Yes, we've been ramping up since November last year, trying to establish ourselves in the arts and cultural sector. We don't currently have a space, but we are starting programs and we've got project funding going forward.

Speaker 3 03:08

So I believe you've had your own struggles. Were there barriers in accessing education for you? I understand you went to university to study communications design.

Speaker 2 03:21

Yeah, so actually I went to uni. I did really, really well at uni. I actually finished with the university medal at my institution, but trying to go into the workforce with my barriers, I'm an autistic person and I also have physical health challenges as well as chronic health and mental health challenges too.

Speaker 2 03:43

I wasn't able to actually do full -time work or to really use my skills to the degree to which I thought that would be possible. And so I really always wanted to be an artist, but graphic design is what artists who want to get paid do.

Speaker 2 04:03

But you don't get paid a lot doing graphic design, especially if you can't make the work hours too. So I decided after some really challenging mental health times and not being able to make that work that this was the way forward for me and being an artist was what I really wanted to do.

Speaker 3 04:23

That's great. So have you found the community has helped you be more supportive and you've got understanding with each other?

Speaker 2 04:32

The intrinsic understanding amongst all of us is really the foundation of what makes our group worth. The support that we give each other and the collaboration between all of us is really quite magical.

Speaker 2 04:49

I think everybody has their own wonderful attributes that they bring to the group but honestly I'm not the only person to say this but without the group I would be here today and they've saved my lives and I think if we keep going as well that we can help a lot of people out there too.

Speaker 3 05:09

So you've got strong feelings about how people with a disability are evaluated and how they're labelled and sometimes you put people into a box. Can you tell us more about people's attitudes?

Speaker 2 05:21

Yeah, so obviously things are always changing, but I think the disability community and the art sector, especially, we haven't been given a lot of creative control over our destiny. So our organisation is really unique in the fact that we are all 100% disability -led.

Speaker 2 05:42

Our artists are actually the board, where we have full creative control over everything that we do. And I think that's really interesting because when people talk about creative control, disability arts is often being facilitated in the past and even now.

Speaker 2 06:03

We haven't actually been the people driving that. Of course, we've been part of the outcome, but we haven't been the ones like driving it forward, creating it from the top down.

Speaker 3 06:15

And what difference do you think that makes?

Speaker 2 06:18

I think that you can see it in the outcomes as well as in the community as well. I think when you see a group of artists, a group of people who are able to go out there, who are able to get project funding, who are able to liaise with council with major institutions all on our own and where the ones making this happen, it really sets a precedent for what's possible.

Speaker 2 06:45

I think one of our tabs lies is actually redefining the possible and I think that's genuinely what we're doing.

Speaker 3 06:53

So this is the first public exhibition of the artist with a disability is that.

Speaker 2 06:59

Yeah, it's really exciting. It's our debut exhibition, and we just had our launch on the Saturday, and it was a real wonderful day. It was a great success.

Speaker 3 07:11

So what can we expect when we look around?

Speaker 2 07:14

Yeah, so if you get on down to Blacktown Arts to see the exhibit, it's a really wonderful exhibition. It's quite diverse in the different art forms that all of our artists have put together in these 10 weeks.

Speaker 2 07:27

You have paintings, video work, sculptures. I think for myself, I've actually created a giant bed for people to lie in. That's the interactive piece.

Speaker 3 07:42

Oh right, to lie in or lie on? Both. Oh right. So how is the bed different? Is it just a double bed put into an art exhibition or you've got some interesting sheets there or?

Speaker 2 07:54

No, it's fully... Okay, so imagine what you would imagine a cloud like bed being. So I've created this queen size bed that's got about 40 kilos worth of stuffing in it. And it's the most plush, fluffy bed that you can think of.

Speaker 2 08:12

The piece is actually called Comfort because it's all about providing a safe landing space, a place, a platform for people with disability in creative institutions like Blacktown Arts.

Speaker 3 08:26

Right, okay. And what about the sculptures? What are they made of?

Speaker 2 08:30

So there's a few different installation pieces. One of them is a card that one of our artist Taylor has put together, but it's actually made on wood. And it's very large, but on the front of it, she's actually made a floral kind of base that has a flower that each of them represents the person in our studio.

Speaker 2 08:56

And inside of the card, she's gotten everybody to write sentiments to the individuals in the studio as well. And it's really about gratitude and her reciprocation for all of the people involved and the way that in which we've changed her life as well.

Speaker 3 09:16

So some of the people have physical disabilities and others have mental disabilities. Is that right?

Speaker 2 09:22

Yeah, so our studio is quite different as well. Often people will ask us, do you kind of segregate people, you know, dependent on their own capacity? But I think we're unique in the fact that we have everybody together.

Speaker 2 09:37

We have people with physical disabilities, cognitive disabilities, people with neurodiversity, and mental health challenges as well. And we're all just as important as each other, and everyone has a significant part to play in our studio.

Speaker 3 09:52

And do you think art helps you manage your disability?

Speaker 2 09:57

It has been the most significant kind of a therapy, I guess, even though I wouldn't even call it that, out of anything that I've ever done. I never would have thought that any of the types of things that I'm doing now and the people I'm liaison with would ever be possible.

Speaker 2 10:16

My bed that I've actually created, I think of it kind of like a portal. I spent about a year of my life in bed and longer than that in self -isolation as well. I kind of think about it. I think about all of the people out there who are in bed right now, whether physically or actually in their heads, in a confined space where they don't have the support systems to be able to do the types of things that they want to do.

Speaker 2 10:43

I think about them lying in that bed, being in the gallery and it being a safe place for them and a supportive system for them to be able to achieve the things that they never thought would be possible.

Speaker 3 10:57

So can you tell us where the exhibition is and how long does it run? And of course, I guess it must be accessible, isn't it?

Speaker 2 11:05

Yes, it's at the Blacktown, the Leo Telly Blacktown Art Centre, which is an accessible space. There's a ramp towards the back if you're coming with a wheelchair or mobility scooter. It's completely accessible and it's from the 20th of September to the 28th of October.

Speaker 2 11:22

And we're in here all the time as well as the artists and there's lots of family days and interactive activities that you can find on the Blacktown Art Web site as well if you want to come and interact with us.

Speaker 3 11:37

So you'll be there every day, will you Ebony?

Speaker 2 11:40

I'm so far I've been here every day, but I'm doing my best to stay around and make sure everyone knows what how amazing the work is that the people have done because I've got to say I'm really proud of myself, but I'm so proud of all of our artists.

Speaker 3 11:59

So the exhibition has another week or so to run, and you've been pretty happy with it so far.

Speaker 2 12:06

Yeah, so it's on until the 28th of October. And honestly, everybody who's been in to see the exhibition so far has been so impressed by our artists. I honestly think that it's really groundbreaking work that we're doing here and on such a tight deadline as well.

Speaker 2 12:23

So I think that anyone who comes to see it will not be disappointed.

Speaker 3 12:28

So where can we find out more about this exhibition and more about your community?

Speaker 2 12:33

So you can find out more about the exhibition on the Black Town Art website. If you go to what's on and then to the exhibition section, the name of the exhibition is called We Are and it is We Are Studios.

Speaker 2 12:46

That's the name of our studio and you can find us at weastudios .org or on our social media which is that We Are Studios org.

Speaker 3 12:56

Thank you very much. It was lovely talking to you, Ebony.

Speaker 2 13:00

Yeah, such a pleasure. Thank you so much.

Speaker 3 13:03

And that was Ebony Whiteman, who's the treasurer of We Are Studios and a featured artist at a disability -led exhibition, which is currently on at the Leo Kelly Blacktown Art Centre, running to 28 October.

Speaker 1 13:25

You have just been listening to AbleQuest, a program that looks at developments in assistive technology and initiatives. From Elaine Wziontek and Barbara Sullivan, thank you for listening and goodbye till next program.