The deadline has now passed for submitting work for Shoddy. The brief below is therefore included for information only.
Brief for artists
Shoddy is open to disabled artists (individuals or groups) to submit textile-based work, or artwork that involves textiles. Work for the exhibition will be selected by an invited panel. They will be looking for work that interprets one or more of the brief’s themes to create an exhibition of work that presents new ideas and that covers all of the themes of the project.
You can submit ideas for new work or you can submit existing work. You can submit up to 3 pieces or ideas.
If you are submitting existing work, please include clear photographs of the work. Tell us when it was made.
If you want to send in an idea for new work and your idea is selected, your work must be ready in time for the exhibition installation, one week before the exhibition opening. We’ll let you know as soon as these dates are set.
The artwork must be your own, and must be your own ideas. It’s fine if you are supported by other people to make your artwork, but disabled people must clearly be in control and leading making the artwork.
Artists and craftspeople can submit work for this exhibition and some participants will use craft techniques, but we must emphasise that Shoddy is not a craft show or a demonstration of craft skills by disabled people. Work that, for example, follows someone else’s pattern or sticks to well-established traditions without subverting or commenting on them, is unlikely to be selected. If you’re not sure about this, get in touch well before the deadline to discuss this more.
Themes
You must produce textile-based work, or work that uses textiles, that addresses one of more of the project’s themes:
• Shoddy and shoddy manufacturing
– the material, shoddy industry in Leeds/West Yorkshire, the woollen industry, uses of shoddy, mills & mill work, local history
• Recycling/re-using/re-purposing
• Shoddy treatment of disabled people by current government
– public funding cuts including cuts to social care, access to work, welfare reform, bedroom tax, demonisation of people on benefits, deserving / undeserving poor, charity,
– comparison of disabled people’s lives now – and in the past (making links to history as above).
Shoddy exhibition 