MESS ROOM Creates was a pilot participatory arts programme that involved adults with disabilities, including deaf, blind & learning disabled with all aspects of visual arts practice from concept planning, through to materials choices, design, creation, curation and exhibition. The project also supported the development of a new business development plan to enable growth, sustainability & build new capacity within the company.

Between the Lines was a programme authored by Fat Lady Opera and MESS ROOM CIC that uses multi-disciplinary art practice to animate libraries, cultivating them as spaces for shared imagination, warmth and wonder. Over a period of six months from October 2022 to March 2023, three artists worked with 29 community participants to create a multi-media exhibition that explored our relationship with the written word, paper, book design and the notion of the quiet space.

Dot to Dot is a free art project for sight impaired, deaf and BSL users living in Kent that can be delivered in BSL, spoken English, large print, braille and audio. We work out how best to communicate with you to help you be creative at home and can send you an art pack with materials, film links & creative ideas to get you started.

Hidden Heroines: by the MESS ROOM and Friends, is an exhibition of artworks by local people who are sight impaired, blind, deaf or hard of hearing in response to The Historic Dockyard Chatham’s ‘Hidden Heroines: the untold stories of women of the Dockyard’ exhibition.

‘Out of Sight Not Out of Mind’ was devised in April 2020 when the first national lockdown was announced, and the MESS ROOM was unable to host its usual weekly sessions. The project was designed to support blind and visually impaired artists.

In 2019 MESS ROOM collaborated with Sun Pier House CIC on their Open Arts programme to deliver ‘My Self’ in partnership with MESS ROOM artists Wendy Daws and Christopher Sacre.

Photo by Gary Weston

The Value of Touch was a sensory arts project developed by Wendy, offering people with sight loss an exclusive opportunity to experience the wealth of hidden treasures held by the Guildhall Museum. Most importantly, the group was given permission to handle most of the objects – something that would not typically be allowed.

Through a series of workshops, members of Kent Association for the Blind Medway Art Group were invited to explore the museum’s collection using haptic techniques to help inspire them to create new artworks for exhibition. Wendy created touchable interpretations of the artworks for a six month exhibition at the museum.

Photo by Ben Boardman

A project launched in 2016 with the aim of providing the go-to place for Deaf Families to find out about Deaf-accessible creative events in Medway, Kent. As well as a listings website where you can search for fun BSL-friendly activities and workshops, SEE and CREATE co-ordinates accessible creative events.

Initiated and led by Christopher, the goal of SEE and CREATE is to provide fun, creative events where everyone can take part equally. This is especially important for families who use both BSL and spoken English, as it can help bring family members closer together through joint participation, and help Deaf Families meet others and share their experiences.