Did you know...? artED: a new art project launch

Helen Shaddock (Library Aide, Walton Library) writes about her fascinating career within the arts:

When I am not working as a Library Aide at the Walton Library you will find me in my studio at the NewBridge Project in Shieldfield. My artwork explores themes related to my experience of living with anorexia, OCD & my recent autism diagnosis and incorporates writing, video, sound, sculpture, performance, and drawing.

In March I received funding from Arts Council England towards the realisation of a major art project, artED – a digital zine exploring eating distress through art practice. <arted.online> will go live in September 2024.

In the beginning

artED has evolved out of Lockdown Diaries, a diary-keeping project that I began at the start of the pandemic as a way for me to stay connected to family and friends. Hand-drawn in black pen on white card, the Diaries contain a mix of podcast- TV- film- and audiobook-reviews, quotes, walks taken, football formation schematics (about my beloved Sheffield Utd), emojis, and icons— all contained within one side of A5. Text winds about the page, up, down and along the edges. Every inch of space is used. Completed in one take at the end of each day— all my crossings-out are included.

During periods of enforced isolation during Covid, the ritual of uploading them to my social media every evening became an incentive for me to keep active, stimulated, and connected to others. Since the pandemic I have continued to make a diary a day and there’s an ever-growing archive of over 1800 and counting.

As more and more people seemed to connect with my Diaries the idea grew to explore them in more detail and show how I make sense of the world through my art.

artED was born!

artED is a digital zine that explores and extends the contents of the Diaries. It incorporates my creative writing, my autobiographical art-writing, a mix of podcast- TV- film- music- and audiobook-reviews, quotes, links to other people’s art, everyday inspirations, and useful resources for others living with and caring for someone with eating distress.

I am launching artED in September with a series of talks at venues in South Shields and Newcastle. I hope by talking about my experiences I can support others in similar situations and raise understanding of neurodiversity and eating distress.

PUBLICATION - The Thing

One of the regular activities featured in my Diaries is for me to be writing The Thing. This started as a vehicle for me to process some of my childhood memories and has continued to be writing about more recent circumstances and situations that I have experienced. The texts tend to focus on emotional states, patterns of thought and behaviour. The Thing Part 1 is being published by artizine and will be launched in September as part of the talks programme.

TALKS PROGRAMME - ‘Joined-up thinking: writing, recovery, art’

I am organising a series of conversations, inspired by artED and curated for three venues that will bring together health professionals, writers, artists, and curators to exchange ideas, share knowledge and understanding:

1. The Word – National Centre for the Written Word, South Shields <https://theworduk.org>

Wednesday 18 September 2024

6:00-7:30 pm

Word has it: speaking & listening, writing & reading

<https://theworduk.org/whats-on/word-has-it-speaking-listening-writing-reading-a-talk-by-helen-shaddock/>

I will be in conversation with Julia Robinson (Principal Librarian, South Tyneside Libraries) discussing my autobiographical writing, The Thing Part 1. Published as a limited edition, The Thing, is a collection of my poetry and prose— poignant, candid and humorous reflections on my experience of living with eating distress, OCD, and autism. Extracts from The Thing will be read.

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2. ReCoCo – Recovery College Collective, Newcastle upon Tyne <recoverycoco.com>

Tuesday 1 October 2024

6:00-7:30 pm

Creating Your Own Recovery Journey – is that even possible?

https://www.recoverycoco.com/arted

I will be in conversation with Alisdair Cameron (Co-Director ReCoCo), Claire Murphy-Morgan (Senior Research Assistant, RHED-C), Anne Fry (CEO, Eating Distress North East) and Fiona Granger (NHS Specialist Nurse in ED), bringing together our collective experience to imagine ways in which the NHS and community health services can empower individuals to create their own personal recovery plans.

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3. NewBridge Project – Artist studio gallery and bookshop <thenewbridgeproject.com>

Thursday 24 October 2024

6:00-7:30 pm

Speaking…From Personal Experience

https://thenewbridgeproject.com/events/arted-speaking-from-personal-experience/

I will be in conversation with Dave Chawner, award winning stand-up and best-selling author discussing our mission to de-stigmatise eating distress with honesty and humour in our respective memoirs.

*Limited edition copies of The Thing Part 1 will be available to buy at all events at a reduced price*

It would be great to see some familiar faces at the talks. All events are free, but booking is required – please visit the venue websites for more details. I’ll be donating a copy of The Thing Part 1 to the Library, so hopefully you’ll see it in Alma or on the bookshelves soon!

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