Across both UK and Australia I’ve developed work in communities outside of formal education and cultural organisations. As an artist I have undertaken this work through an ideological alignment of offering access to quality arts and cultural practice. Between 2004-2009 I co-ran a weekly class in South London for adults with learning disabilities.
From 2006-2010 I worked as an Architectural Associate with Fundamental Architectural Inclusion delivering workshops and consultation events with communities across East London. The aim of these programs was to engage and give people a voice in the transformation of East London in the build up to the 2012 Olympics.
More recently I have ran workshop in South Sydney through MHAD, Mental Health Arts Development. The work of small community based organisations is often done on a shoe string, with no ongoing resources and is significantly challenged in getting exposure to the wider arts community. As an artist I value the opportunity to work at the coal face, it’s stretching and rewarding work and can make a real difference in people’s lives – including mine.
Howard Matthew 