People with learning disabilities do not have an archive in Portsmouth. Their heritage is at risk of being lost unless oral histories are preserved for future generations.

“We want to show people this is us… this is what we can do… this is what we want them to understand about what we have dealt with in our lives.” Emma,  member of the Inclusive Arts Committee (IAC).

This New Ground’s Portsmouth hub has created new opportunities for underrepresented adults with learning disabilities to engage with high-quality cultural experiences, creative activities and place-based community projects. In 2023, it established the IAC in Portsmouth, made up of 12 learning-disabled ambassadors.

The Groundwork project is co-designed with the IAC, connecting members with their heritage, researching and preserving overlooked institutional and community histories of people with learning disabilities in Portsmouth.

Groundwork has been made possible thanks to the support of Arts Council England, National Lottery Community Fund,  National Lottery Heritage Fund, Portsmouth City Council and Victorious Festival. Aspex Portsmouth and Crying Out Loud are delivery partners.

Groundwork and Crying Out Loud

Our Solent Programme Producer Lucy is part of the Groundwork’s steering committee and plays a key role in developing connections between professional artists and the IAC.

As a commissioning partner on a key strand of the project, we’re proud to support this step-change in representation and leadership in the arts. Through artist development, collaboration and connection to our wider programme, this project champions powerful creative voices and challenges perceptions of what learning-disabled art can be.

Head Over Wheels and Groundwork

We were delighted to welcome integrated circus company Head Over Wheels to Portsmouth, marking the beginning of a creative partnership built on shared values of inclusion and co-creation. Three Committee members also joined a Ventnor Fringe Inspiration Trip, where they watched Head Over Wheels’ Anchored in Air and met the artists.

Head Over Wheels is contributing to the We Connect conference on inclusion in the arts, presented by Portsmouth Creates and This New Ground. The event brings together inclusive arts practitioners, organisations and artists to explore how people with a disability can not only be included but take a leading role in shaping culture.

Together with members of the Inclusive Arts Committee, Head Over Wheels is leading a week-long residency exploring storytelling through movement, circus and lived experience. The work developed will be shared at the Groundwork Festival, alongside open workshops designed to engage and inspire the wider learning-disabled community.

This collaboration is part of Head Over Wheels’ wider Arts Council England supported programme.