Rights Not Charity: Protest Textiles and Disability Activism

by Gill Crawshaw Gill Crawshaw

from @commonthreadspress

The new publication from Common Threads Press, looking at how textiles have long been part of the fabric of disabled people’s lives and history, available now.

Gill Crawshaw (Gill Crawshaw) presents Any Work That Wanted Doing, a new exhibition that seeks to tell the stories of disabled mill workers.

disabilityarts.online/blog/gill-craw…

Great turnout yesterday for #MillingAround , a walk & talk by Rachael Unsworth that showed sites of textile industry in Holbeck. Disabled people, many disabled by factory work, worked here alongside others in harsh conditions. Thanks to Lucinda Yeadon of CEG for hosting. #HeritageOpenDays

So pleased you enjoyed #AnyWorkThatWantedDoing !

I am so excited to see #AnyWorkThatWantedDoing launch! Curated by Gill Crawshaw it's a really beautiful series of works by disabled artists responding to histories of disabled mill workers 🦻🪻🏙️

So proud and honoured to be publishing the work of Gill Crawshaw who has an incredible career working with both disability activism and the arts. This is a good one folks! 🧵

Designed by chris shortt 📖

#AnyWorkThatWantedDoing exhibition open from tomorrow, Leeds Industrial Museum, bringing together disabled voices past & present. Part of LEEDS 2023 supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. For Heritage Open Days there are FREE tours of the exhibition all next week eventbrite.co.uk/e/any-work-tha…

'Disabled people’s role in the workplace is interwoven with the exploitation of industrial capitalism. Nonetheless, [they] were resilient, had agency and were integral to the workforce & the emerging trade union movement.'

- Gill Crawshaw (Gill Crawshaw)
historyworkshop.org.uk/disability-his…

This Thursday, starting 6pm prompt (but come before for a look-see & a beer...) feat. artists, writers, curators, & disability activists RosieBlackburn, Gill Crawshaw, Joanne Lee, Longbarrow Press, Dr. Rachel Smith, Mick Ward, Phil Waterworth, & me.
eventbrite.co.uk/e/speaking-arc…

Speaking Architectures: an informal evening of readings of creative & critical writing by artists, writers & curators inc Emma Bolland Dr. Rachel Smith Joanne Lee Gill Crawshaw.

Old Post Office Building, Sheffield, Thur 3 August. Free, all welcome. Info: eventbrite.co.uk/e/speaking-arc…

📖 Gill Crawshaw introduces A Handsome Testimonial, a zine documenting the instrumental role that deaf and disabled Mill-workers played in campaigns for factory reform.

disabilityarts.online/magazine/showc…

This month I’ll be out & about distributing A Handsome Testimonial, #DisabilityHistory #zine . @PHMMcr 8/7; Copy That! zine fest Leeds 15/7; Make a Zine Day at Leeds City Museum 22/7. Looking forward to conversations. Thanks for funding UNLIMITED #HiddenHistories #DisHist

A Handsome testimonial, a zine about James Scott, a 19th century Deaf mill worker from Horbury, is out! Also available issuu.com/gillcrawshaw/d… and as large print text only pdf. Thanks to UNLIMITED for funding. Message me for a copy #HiddenHistories #DisabledPeoplesHistory

So excited to see what this group of artists are going to create! #AnyWorkThatWantedDoing

I’m v pleased to receive an Unlimited UNLIMITED commission to continue to explore the lives of disabled & deaf people who worked in textile mills. My zine will focus on James Scott of Horbury, showing that disabled people have been & continue to be part of their communities

Disabled artists take to the street! 🪧

1 week today #TheManyCostsOfLiving campaign launches online on billboards around the UK featuring ✨ brand new commissions ✨ from @bella_milroy @hanecdote @justpiccirilli and @KirkwoodJonny & Jordan Kirkwood

bit.ly/41Q9K4c

📣 CALL OUT
We're looking for disabled artists in West Yorkshire to create work for a new #LEEDS2023 exhibition by @shoddyarts, uncovering the hidden stories of disabled textile workers. In collaboration with Leeds Museums & Galleries, details on how to apply here👉 bit.ly/3SwFOpl

Deaf artist, Diana Terry's exhibition Land Marks explores the dramatic landscape of the Yorkshire Pennines. Gill Crawshaw finds it indicative of the rich disabled talent currently coming out of the north of England.

disabilityarts.online/magazine/opini…

Disability arts in Leeds timeline shoddyexhibition.wordpress.com/2022/06/14/dis…

I spoke to Leeds Disabled People’s Organisation (LDPO) and Gill Crawshaw about the fascinating past and promising future of activism for disability rights in Leeds for Yorkshire Voice!