Community-based arts research for people with learning disabilities: challenging misconceptions about learning disabilities

Abstract

This article presents some of the community-based artwork of a group of men with learning disabilities, who aimed to challenge some of the misconceptions associated with learning disabilities. People with learning disabilities regularly face many forms of direct and indirect stigma. The consequences of such negative perceptions may affect individuals’ social relationships and ensure that barriers are strengthened which prevent their full inclusion. The men in this project used a series of visual and creative methods to challenge some of these misconceptions by telling stories through art, demonstrating skill through photography, using poetry to talk about sexual identity and improvising drama and filmmaking to challenge stigma, and through sculpture expressed their voices. Thus, by doing so, they were able to challenge some of the stigma associated with learning disabilities, indicating that community-based arts research is a valuable way in which to promote the voices of people with learning disabilities.

Keywords:

• learning disabilities
• community arts
• visual methods
• participation

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all of the participants and organisations involved with the research that is discussed in this article.

Notes

1 Lourdes is a market town in France and is an important Roman Catholic pilgrimage site.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Research Institute of Health and Social Change