Name: The Centrepiece
Location: The Atrium, Library Walk (mixed media installation)
Artist: Lauren Mullarkey
What does safety mean to a deaf blind person? How would it feel? This sculpture is designed to create just such a space, a destination, a reason to pause on our journey. The Centrepiece creates a place to feel safe, feel enchanted and re-energised for what comes next. The Centrepiece is for all of us.
Lauren is a textile and mosaic artist based at Seashell Trust, where she works with children and young people who use little to no expressive verbal language to use art as a communication tool. With them she creates work which celebrates the beauty of diversity, collaboration and in-the-moment expression. Shellbee is a realisation of her design to create a truly accessible artwork, showcasing the coming together of the students, staff, volunteers and some amazing creatives: Chris Ball who made the bee interactive to touch and movement with twinkling lights, sound and vibration; Halle musician Chris Emerson who created the buzz sounds using viola, didgeridoo and throat singing; Stevie Williams who mastered the sounds to suit a range of auditory needs; Jean Barratt who made the gorgeous gold fuzzy buzzy stripes and builder Christian McGrath who created the students’ fused glass windows! This Bee highlights what disabled children can do with the right support. Shellbee is for everybody. To find out more visit seashelltrust.org.uk