Sat 25 Oct - Sun 8 Feb
Manchester based artist and activist Lou Miller has collaborated with children from St Vincent de Paul Catholic Primary School in L1 to ask children about their vision of freedom. The resulting exhibition transforms the voices of children aged 8-11 into a powerful banner to be read by adults and children alike. Miller, whose practice has a strong collaborative focus, and explores themes of community, work, health, and social change, has penned a response to the children. We Dream of Our Freedom transforms the gallery into a community studio, and invites audiences to share their own ideas of freedom and respond to the children’s vision.
We Dream of Our Freedom is part of Our Freedom: Then and Now, a UK-wide, locally-led arts and creative programme from Future Arts Centres, which is producing 60 new pieces of work reflecting on what ‘Our Freedom’ means to local people and their communities, following the 80th anniversary of VE/VJ Day.
The themes of the project resonate deeply with the Bluecoat’s own history. Not only was the building severely damaged during the Blitz, but for the last 100 years as an arts centre, the Bluecoat has championed creativity, and the freedom for artists, and everyone, to express themselves freely through their art.
Free entry
To accompany the exhibition will be a series of free, family friendly creative activities in the gallery, led by artist Lou Miller on Sat 25 Oct, Tue 28, Wed 29, Thu 30 Oct and Sat 1 Nov.