No Boundaries: 28th January - 7th February at London Waterloo Station
In the summer of 2018 we began working with Guide Dogs, Royal Association for Deaf people, Scope, Stroke Association, The National Autistic Society and Whizz Kidz to launch an exhibition called No Boundaries, which has been touring some of Britain’s most iconic train stations.
The exhibition is designed to encourage travel without boundaries, thanks to the improvements in accessibility on Britain’s railway and the support available to disabled people and their families and friends.
No Boundaries will be finishing it's tour of Britain at London Waterloo station from 28th January - 7th February.
Find out about the artists taking part below.
Sophie Morgan
Sophie, 32, was paralysed from the chest down in a car crash aged 18. She is delighted to be taking part in National Rail’s ‘No Boundaries’ exhibition and inspiring others to travel without boundaries. Sophie thinks think the concept of No Boundaries is a really powerful way of being able to encourage more people to talk to one other, and educate people about different disabilities and the support that is available, so that more people can travel freely on Britain’s railway
Clive Mealin
Clive is an autistic artist that recieves support from the National Autistic Society. He enjoys exploring new places and sketches to record his experiences while he travels. His artwork will be a painting created based on a series of his sketches. Clive’s favourite train related memories are travelling to London and the Kent Coast to see art exhibitions. To Clive, travelling with no boundaries, means having the freedom to travel and see new places.
Emma L Johns
Emma was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in January 2018, following decades of medication and counselling for depression. A ten week art therapy course suddenly made mindfulness techniques real and helped focus a brain with no brakes. Not being neurotypical, to travel without boundaries celebrates the creativity of ADHD; being in the moment with fleeting sights and chance conversations. Emma will be using mixed media and found items combined with memories and images of the same journey made half a lifetime ago.
Liz Atkin
Liz has a mental health condition called Dermatillomania or Compulsive Skin Picking. She refocuses the compulsive behaviour into art. To help her stave off anxiety when she travels, Liz creates artwork on discarded newspapers which she then hands out to curious passengers. To date she’s given away more than 16,000 drawings in London, New York, Singapore and San Francisco. For Liz travelling without boundaries raises awareness of mental health through creative acts of kindness. Liz’s has created her artwork for the exhibition using pen on paper.
Lloyd Spencer
Lloyd is a freelance writer, teacher and photographer who loves to ride the rails. He has been commissioned by several charities, including the Guide Dog Association, the Bereavement Forum and a number of cancer charities. When his wife, Sara, was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2009 her fervent wish was to dance and travel. They went on to travel all over Britain, by train, from their base in Leeds. Lloyd undertook this commission in memory of Sara, who died at the end of 2015, and in celebration all those for whom travel is a vital part of keeping their horizons open.
Maria DiFranco Gregg
Maria’s most recent award-winning project “Creating A Personal Healing Image” explores the emotionally restorative impact of art-making on the experience of physically impaired cancer patients. For Maria, traveling without boundaries means the opportunity to meet the people that make each community unique, and experience the new sights, tastes, smells, and sounds that have the power to enrich our mind and engage the spirit. Maria will be creating engaging images inspired by the diverse cultural heritage of the United Kingdom through the mediums of photography, painting, and graphic design.
Matt Gent
Matt is an artist who works closely with a diverse range of students in inner city London. His work is focused around relief prints and shows a skilled understanding of his craft. He shows a dedication in creating a barrier-free environment for the students he works with, including the desire to make it easy and enjoyable for them and others with disabilities to travel.
Mark Lloyd
Mark is an artist with Autism who makes his pen, ink and felt tip pen works from memories of past journeys. A particular fan of train journeys, he created an inspiring project ‘Trainlines’ via a grant given to him though Arts Council England in 2016. Mark articulates his creative wishes through his art practice and is particularly fond of perspective drawing. Travelling without boundaries for him means to be able to travel without anxiety, safe in the knowledge that support is available to him. Through taking part in this exhibition Mark photographs his experiences to inspire new work which he will continue to develop into a new collection of paintings both at home and at ArtStudio01, an inclusive studio as he represents his passions of railways, trains and journeys to new places.
Matt Mackman
Matt is a passionate advocate for causes related to accessibility including The National Deaf Children’s Society and The National Autistic Society. He believes in using art to educate and will be using paint, oils and a mixture of media. To Matt travelling with no boundaries means gaining access to experiences and lifestyles which he might not encounter in his day to day life.
Mikko Karhu
Mikko was born deaf into a hearing family and also suffered a brain hemorrhage later in life, which has left him with memory problems. Despite these obstacles he completed his education without any special assistance. Mikko specialises in photography and believes that to travel without boundaries will make journeys more interactive and enjoyable for all.
Richard Gray
After having his speech impaired after a brain hemorrhage Richard began using art to aid his recovery process. Richard is passionate about water colour painting and also loves train travel. The first rail journey Richard took after his hemorrhage was one of his most memorable journeys, a service commemorating fallen Australian and New Zealand troops, something he attended yearly before his stroke.
Robyn Herbert
Robyn is a 15-year-old wheelchair user. She enjoys creating inspirational pieces in various mediums including pencil and Biro pens. To Robyn travelling with no boundaries means inspiring others to do what they love despite their disability. She's using this exhibition as an opportunity to gain more experience within the art world. She is self-taught and will be creating a painting about her trip.
Sian Healey
Sian is a visually impaired painter. She often travels by train with her guide dog. For Sian travelling with no boundaries means having a greater sense of independence and highlighting that not all visual impairments are the same. She wants to be able to help more people to feel confident about travelling and will be creating a painting about her experience.
STATIC
Tom and Craig create limited edition and original artworks using a mixture of screen printing, stencil and spray paint. Their work incorporates patterns and themes taken from places that they encounter on a regular basis – including movement and travel. Craig’s wife works with children directly affected by accessibility issues. For Tom and Craig travelling with no boundaries means everyone has equal access to travel regardless of their ability.
Tamsin Parker
Tamsin is on the autistic spectrum and is an active member of the National Autistic Society. She is a passionate train traveler and always carries a sketch book with her to keep track of what she sees. Her interests include painting including acrylic or water colour and digital. To Tamsin travelling with no boundaries means giving people with disabilities to the ability to travel whenever and wherever they want. Tamsin will be paining either acrylic, watercolour or digital.
Tanya Raabe-Webbe
Stating wholeheartedly that she was ‘born to paint’, wheelchair user, Tanya Raabe-Webber creates live portrait events of high profile sitters in high profile galleries and public spaces including sitter Dame Evelyn Glennie at the National Portrait Gallery as part of her Portraits Untold series. Since 1987, she has produced artworks which explore the concepts of identity, a disabled self, and the nude in contemporary portraiture. Tanya is also a Director of ArtStudio01: Artists Collective, an art studio supporting learning disabled artists to develop their arts practice and professional development. Exhibiting artist, Mark Lloyd is one of the artists, and her work features an iPad drawing of Mark on his own train journey.
Tina Rowe
Train travel was key to keeping Tina and her mother, who had suffered a major stroke, close. Tina used film and photography as a medium for exploring her mother’s memories of Birmingham in the 1930s and 40s. To Tina travelling with no boundaries means still using travel to feel connected to her mother who passed away a year ago. Tina will be creating images with her pinhole film camera.
Tony Fisher
Tony explores the positive aspects of travel for both physical and mental health. Tony’s artwork is comprised of photography and writing, including poetry. Travelling with no boundaries for him means escaping the confines of everyday life and discovering and experiencing new places. He will be creating a series of photos.
Valerie Savchits
Valerie’s father suffered from several strokes and had to go through a very slow rehabilitation, including re-learning how to talk again. Her style of work is expressive and heavily influenced by street art and symbolism. She also enjoys taking trips on trains which allow her to sketch her surroundings. To Valerie travelling with no boundaries means daring to be yourself in a world that isn’t always the most accessible. Valerie will be creating a mixed media painting on canvas.