Outcomes

The outcomes of the project will be:

  1. A functioning website acting as a hub with diverse stakeholder groups and the public submitting their diabetes experiences, ideas, messages and viewing the artworks produced.
  2. Artworks on diabetes experience, ideas and messages including:
  • Animations (accompanied by music and audio).
  • Works on paper (drawings, cartoons, part of the drawn animation).
  • Sculptures made of diabetes disposables.
  • High-definition video.
  • Performance drawing.
  1. A short film to showcase selected artworks and the drawing performances.
  2. Soundscapes responding to the submissions and the visual art.
  3. An art installation.

Dissemination, curation and legacy

A major target audience is the public as almost everyone will know someone with diabetes. Other specific target audiences for the project will be determined by the people making submissions to the project website and contributors will be asked to identify their key target audience(s) when they submit. These may include PWD, friends and family of PWD, HCPs (diabetes specialist and non-specialist) and diabetes biomedical researchers. The precise means of dissemination will be developed during the project to reach the target audiences.

Online presence. The Diabetes Art Machine website will be the online presence. The diabetes experiences submitted and the artwork produced will be available to view on the website throughout the project. A new website will be created and developed further during the project. The artworks will be searchable and visitors will be able to choose to view a collection of artworks particularly aimed at them by self-identifying with a target audience group (eg PWD, other stakeholder group etc).

It is essential the project reaches as wide as possible audience right from the outset both to promote submissions initially and then views of the artworks as they are produced. I will promote the project through social media, presentations, workshops, public drawing performances and at diabetes related events.

The project will leave an online legacy and searchable archive of the artworks produced during the lifetime of the project. It will be interesting to see if the online diabetes community will continue the conversation and continue to submit their experiences or even to take control and keep the project running. A successful outcome would be if there was enthusiasm to keep the Diabetes Art Machine functioning beyond the end of the project.

Soundscapes. In response to submissions and the visual art produced, sound artist Isa Suarez will create soundscapes, which will provide the soundtrack for the animations and be incorporated into the final installation.

Art installations. The finished artworks will be distilled into an art installation that will go on a UK tour of public spaces supported with artist talks. The nature of the venues depends on the target audiences identified by the contributors but could include hospitals, libraries, schools, universities, art galleries, charity events, patient group meetings, and diabetes conferences. The content of the installation can be tailored to the target audience and the venue. The whole installation will be preserved as a legacy of the project to exhibit in future.

Presentations. I will present the project to Wimbledon College of Arts students and run an experimental drawing workshop. The project will be presented at the London Leonardo Art Science Evening Rendezvous (LASER) meeting. Upon completion of the project I will present a question and answer session to discuss the project and the outcomes.

Drawing performancesSome of the drawings generated during the project will be made in public drawing performances. A team of drawers (including Wimbledon College of Arts, MA drawing current and past students) will perform live drawing events with live music. The events will be promoted to the public and to stakeholder groups. People will be invited to participate or to observe the performance. The types of performance will include monochromatic works drawn on large canvas using black marker pens and painted animation. These drawing will become part of the final installation and can be displayed separately. Site-specific wall drawings will also be performed. All drawing performances will be recorded in HD video which will be available on the website and integrated into the art installations.

I will look to site the performances and site specific drawings at a range of prominent public spaces including: charity and fund-raising events (on World Diabetes Day and Diabetes Art Day), building site hoardings, cafes/bars, universities, libraries, council arts spaces and festivals. At the events badges, fliers and other paraphernalia promoting the Diabetes Art Machine project and website will be distributed.

Animation and film. The animations and the film will be accessible on the website. I will make approaches to show the film in public places with screens and monitors such as sports stadiums, shopping arcades, supermarket/shop windows, GP surgeries, hospital waiting rooms and libraries and to project it on a building at night. I will also present the film though avenues such as film/animation festivals and coalitions committed to new modes of exhibition.