Jump to content Jump to main menu Jump to toolbar

Department of Wonder and Play - Artist Spotlight: Hope Shooter

6th December 2024

Department of Wonder and Play – Artist Spotlight: Hope Shooter

Last year we worked with 18 brilliant disabled creatives on our Young Artist Development Programme (YADP). Their work is featured in a new zine called “Department for Wonder and Play”, more about this here. In addition to the digital and physical publication, we’re going to spotlight each artist on the blog so you can get a deeper insight into their work and process. Over to Hope to talk about their artwork.

My name’s Hope and shockingly this is my first ever blog post! You’d think with years of creating behind me I would have gotten round to it before, but nope! Here I am, writing about me, and wondering if it’s possible to ‘fail’ at a blog post.

I’m a freelance artist currently based in Yorkshire but originally from Nottingham. I use the word ‘artist’ in the absolute broadest sense to mean whatever I want it to, depending on the day. Typically though, I work in theatre, with writing especially, and poetry, which can be found in the YADP zine.

With a lot of the art I create I like to push the boundaries of what that art can entail, so when people ask me why I do something, I can reply: “why not?”

 

A typed poem in italics, titled ‘Synesthesia’. The poem is broken into five stanzas of three lines each, with each line alternating in colour between green, blue and red. The poem is formatted so that the stanzas form a zigzag. The poem reads: Like summer grass when you were nine Like the briefest glimpse of a dragonfly Like the crackle of flames by the fireside Like the ripest grape bursting in your mouth Like the clearest sky - without a cloud Like your favourite music, but not too loud Like peonies outside your grandma’s home Like sea salt hair and ice cream cones Like the pleasing crack of finger bones Like an open forest - a world unseen Like a waterfall joining a steady stream Like a borrowed blanket and rising steam Like a moment becoming the genesis Like ice transmitting to a cooling mist Like warm lips pursed for a forehead kiss

A poem titled ‘Paper Planes’. The poem is on a page that you can cut out and fold, to make the shape of a paper plane. Because of this, some words are upside down, and some paragraphs are split apart - so that when the plane is made, they can be read the same way up, or together. A picture of a paper plane is also included on the page. The poem reads: The world can be weighty, and hardened and cruel and keeps us all grounded with their tests and their rules They say we cannot before they see if we can And built fences and stairs so we steer clear of their ‘plan’ So we make our own wings from paper planes and dropped feathers we give ourselves grace during the storms that we weather Though we may never glide like a bird in the sky we steady our wits and like always we fly

Within this zine I have two poems, Synesthesia and Paper Planes. The main concept behind both poems is to provide something that the reader can interact with in some way, and project their own experiences and thoughts into the poem. I think there is definitely a barrier for people when trying to get into poetry, especially with the idea that it’s ‘highbrow’ and that not everyone can understand it.

Poetry is for everyone and it can be a way of expressing thoughts and feelings which normal words can’t – which is something I’m sure a lot of disabled people feel.

The word ‘play’ from Department of Wonder and Play was definitely a large inspiration and jumping-off point for me with this piece. So, my poem Paper Planes can, very literally, be played with. It’s formatted in a way you can turn it into a paper plane and discover the second stanza to the poem, which is an optimistic look forward.

Touretteshero is a great organisation and I’m privileged to have been able to work with them and the other artists on this commission.

Thanks so much to Hope – you can download their paper plane to print off and fold here.

Comment

Leave a Reply

Login Register

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Important Message

This site contains an extensive record of genuine Tourettes Syndrome vocal tics which may be sexually explicit, contain strong language or may generally be on an adult theme. It may include material which some may find offensive. For that reason, we do not allow anyone under 18 years to enter our site. Nor should you enter if such material might offend you.

Touretteshero offers a SafeMode filter that removes swearing and adult content from the site. To do this it is necessary for us to place a ‘cookie’ on your computer. We also use ‘cookies’ to link to Twitter, to remember your login preferences, and to record how many people have visited the site. By clicking a button below you are agreeing to cookies being used. For more detailed information on the use of cookies please read our privacy policy.

…