Paul Darke: Why Bother? The Art of Disability: Practice Does Not Make the Perfect (Disrupting Bodies)

Disability History Month / Paul Darke: Why Bother? The Art of Disability: Practice Does Not Make the Perfect (Disrupting Bodies)

As part of Disability History Month the University of Wolverhampton is delighted to present a talk with Dr Paul Darke, British academic, artist, filmmaker, podcaster and disability rights activist.

In this presentation Dr Darke explores how the disabled body is hidden yet visible all around us. Looking at his recent publication on Disability and Postage stamps Dr Darke talks us through the disruption, fear, and revolution that the last avant garde of disability offers as a revolutionary threat to the idea of normality. With reference to his own career and the history of Disability Art (and film and popular culture) Dr Darke identifies the changing history of disability in culture, politics and, above all, art and why we should, or should not, bother creating (be you disabled or not).

Dr Paul A. Darke is from Surrey in the south of England. Born with Spina Bifida Dr Darke is a wheelchair user. Attended "Special" School but left with no qualifications. Started at University as a mature student and gained a PhD under the supervision of Professor Richard Dyer at the University of Warwick exploring Disability and British Cinema.

Based in the Midlands, Dr Darke is an acclaimed creative thinker and artist, having undertaken over 30 years of projects in a broad range of cultural spheres as an innovator, mentor and leader. Working in areas such as Filmmaking, Photography, Sculpture, Critical Thinking, Health and Welfare (Wellbeing - Dr Darke is a qualified Social Worker), Learning Disability, Writing Lecturing, Film Festivals, Art Festivals, Theatre Promoter and Disability Studies, Dr Darke has an international reputation.

Working with national organisations such as Arts Council England, British Film Institute and a numbers of academic institutions, Dr Darke continues to develop work and practice in such as way as to inspire change. He has previously been director of West Midlands Disability Arts Federation and recently completed a large-scale arts programme entitled Wolves In Wolves, with Wolverhampton Council and Wolverhampton Football Club, which he initiated and directed.

Dr Darke co-founded Outside Centre (Digital Disability) leading it creatively and practically for over 20 years, and all Dr Darke's work is covered - with acknowledgements where due - throughout the Digital Disability website. Dr Darke research includes collaborative practice and he feels that partnership and equality are an essential core of any good practice in any sphere.

He has recently worked with MIMA at Teesside University and its research staff submitting under Art and Design to Unit of Assessment 32 for REF 2021, advising individually on the narrative statements and portfolios necessary for submission under the direction of Professor Simon McKeown.

This talk was recorded on 1st December 2021.

Disability History Month 2021

 / Mike Layward: We are Invisible, We are Visible / Family Planning: The Lived Experience Through Art - Panel Discussion / Paul Darke: Why Bother? The Art of Disability - Practice Does Not Make the Perfect (Disrupting Bodies) / Sam Rapp: UN International Day for Disabled People / Deb Alma: Poetry on Prescription: Creative Writing & Wellbeing /Jennifer Gilbert: How a Manchester Gallery Supports Disabled and Neurodivergent Artists Tony Heaton: The Art of Disability History; A personal view through NDACA (the national disability arts collection and archive)