Sarah Watson is the chair of trustees for Carousel, an award-winning arts organization that empowers learning disabled people through art. She is also a visual artist who recently created multimedia works. As chair, her responsibilities include overseeing meetings, signing documents, and representing Carousel. Additionally, Sarah is involved with Oska Bright, an international film and digital festival for learning disabled artists that tours worldwide. She helped found Creative Minds to challenge perceptions of learning disabled art and ensure it is viewed as professional work shown in galleries and theaters rather than just therapy.

1. Hello I’m Sarah Watson. I’m the
chair of Trustees for Carousel
I’m also a visual artist.

2. I recently did the visuals and photographs for a
multi media show called Creatures of the
Revolution that was at London’s South Bank. It
will soon go on tour.

3. Carousel is
• an award-winning arts
organisation
• that puts learning disabled people
in control of their art
• and challenges what great art is
and who can create it.

4. Being the chair of trustees for
Carousel involves
• Chairing our meetings
• Signing accounts and funding applications
• Working on the annual report
• Going to Arts Council meetings
• Doing presentations, for example at the House
of Lords

5. Let me tell you about a couple of things I am
also involved in at Carousel

6. • I’m a committee member for Oska Bright
• Oska Bright is a three day international learning
disability film and digital festival. It happens every
two years and then goes on tour round the UK
and to other countries.

7. I am involved in planning the festival
Selecting the films
Compering and being a spokesperson
Here is a very short trailer we used for the last
festival

8. https://www.youtube.com/w
atch?v=8CDwYySlv-k

9. I’m also one of the original founders of
Creative Minds
We started Creative Minds because we had
all experienced having people patronise our
work – saying things like “It’s such good
therapy for you” when we were showing our
films in cinemas or exhibiting our work in
galleries or performing at a theatre

10. We were confused about why our work was seen by
arts venues, galleries and cinemas as:
• Education work
• Outreach work
• Community work
• And not presented as “professional” work

11. • Together we formed the first Creative Minds Steering
Committee

12. • We organised a conference at the Dome in
Brighton to bring together learning disabled
artists and performers with people from the
wider arts world to talk about this

13. • Since then there have been other Creative Minds
conferences in Bristol and Ipswich
• And we are planning one in Birmingham and helping a
team to organise one in Stockholm
• We also deliver training and do presentations like today

14. • But our next conference will be here in
Manchester at HOME on June 15th 2017
• You can come to the conference or join the
discussion on our web site
• www.creativemindsproject.org.uk

15. Thank you for listening and I think you will have
an opportunity to ask questions later.