Funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, We Contain Multitudes is a three-year collaborative project between DCA, Collective and Lux, working towards creating systemic change in the Scottish arts sector for disabled visual artists, arts professionals, and audiences.
Centred around research and a commissioning programme, We Contain Multitudes aims to create opportunities for meaningful organisational development and systemic change in the visual arts sector in Scotland, tackling ableism in the sector and imagining a future in which disabled artists have increased access to opportunities, are visible, and their expertise and experiences are truly valued.
We Contain Multitudes is also importantly a learning process - acknowledging the ongoing challenges and barriers to better futures and long-term changes in the sector and that on their own, access measures are not enough to eradicate ableism.
Running until February 2026, each partner will generate a new commission, alongside published research to support long-term change in the sector. DCA will present a new group show featuring new and existing works by Andrew Gannon, Daisy Lafarge, Jo Longhurst and Nnena Kalu, while LUX Scotland will support a new commission to be presented online. The first of these commissions launches with Shen Xin’s exhibition Highland Embassy at Collective.
In anti-ableist work, it is important to be clear on the difference between mitigating or addressing the effects of ableism, and addressing the root cause.Lea Cooper, Independent Researcher
About the report
The report is part of a commitment from the partner organisations to model open and transparent conversations with their peers in the sector. What happens when arts organisations decide to change existing ways of doing things to make things better for disabled artists? What supports change, and what creates barriers?
Visual Guide
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