The founder wanted to give people with Autism, Downs Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy somewhere to show their talent.
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00:00Well, tucked away just near Margate's High Street is a small gallery, filled with pieces
00:04centred around the theme of adapting, something its artists have had to do their entire lives.
00:10Well, here at the Margate School Gallery, the Art For All studio are displaying some
00:14of their finest works of art. Their motto is turning difficulties into gifts, and some
00:19of those gifts can be seen right here behind me, with some works going on to be displayed
00:23in Australia, Europe, and even going on to an awards. But the studio isn't stopping
00:28there, hoping to have more pieces displayed in and around Margate.
00:33After Sandra, Art For All's founder, was made redundant as an art teacher at a special
00:37needs school, she created a studio in her living room, and asked some of her former
00:41pupils to participate. After seeing how much they enjoyed it and the quality of their work,
00:46she began Art For All. Their latest exhibition, Proud To Create, has been going on since the
00:5114th, and ends this Friday, displaying the studio's best works from the summer for sale.
00:56We love coming back to the Margate School each year. We've been here five years. That
01:00safety of coming back to the same place reflects the safety of the studio in my home. They
01:05feel safe. They feel supported. They feel they can make choices. Hopefully they feel
01:12they can be who they want to be in that space. So we then come here to the community, and
01:17we share that with everyone. And I think it's really important, because there's so many
01:20beautiful stories in each painting, because of each individual that comes to the studio.
01:26The studio has 11 artists with a variety of mediums and styles, from traditional watercolour
01:31to photography. One of the youngest artists is Dalibor, who was born with cerebral palsy,
01:36and is deaf, visually impaired, and non-verbal, using British Sign Language to communicate.
01:42But that doesn't stop him from expressing himself, and he's been selected to be a part
01:45of the Portfolio Summer Show 2024 at the Royal Academy.
01:48Could you tell me a bit about your art show?
01:54My name is Dalibor. Welcome to our art show. I like to take photographs. I love traffic
02:02lights. Margate is my favourite place to take photos.
02:07He's a self-taught photographer, using his iPad and different apps to create images of
02:11his experiences, which have been displayed at the Turner Contemporary Gallery in Margate.
02:17The Proud to Create exhibition has also seen their artists selling the work, either as
02:21framed pieces or in the form of other merchandise like posters, tote bags and postcards.
02:26The studio's long-term goal is to create a truly open space, where their artists can
02:31flourish thanks to their support.
02:33Finn McDermid for KMTV in Margate.