Fragile with Attitude; Westonbirt Arboretum aims to break down disabling barriers with new exhibitions

Visit Westonbirt this April to enjoy multisensory experiences, showcasing incredibly important messages. 

Westonbirt Arboretum is working to break down disabling barriers to accessing and enjoying the arboretum and all the exciting multisensory experiences it has to offer with the next phase of the collaborative project with University of Exeter. 

From the 21 – 25 April, ‘Fragile with Attitude’ will be displayed at the arboretum and has been developed as part of the ‘Re-Storying Landscape for Social Inclusion’ collaboration – a project led by Dr Sarah Bell at the University of Exeter in collaboration with Westonbirt, Art Shape, Zoe Partington, and Natural Inclusion.

Contemporary artist, Zoe Partington, and six fantastic Art Shape artists have been ‘re-storying’ Westonbirt’s landscape through their own experiences.

Zoe explains, “In an ableist world, disabled people are often overlooked or marginalised into certain categories that can be disempowering. Our exhibition, ‘Fragile with Attitude’, is about the stories and lives that are often misrepresented within our society. Westonbirt Arboretum provides a space for framing new perspectives of a ‘fragility’ in nature that impacts on us all”. 

The project also includes a new sound installation by the renowned sound artist, James Bulley and sight impaired sensory explorer, Andy Shipley. ‘Sensing History’ is an immersive experience with 4-5 different imagined soundscapes based on Westonbirt’s history and future. The piece, on site from the 12 -24 April, takes the audience on a more-than-human tale, woven from sound, touch and smell, journeying from deep time into the present day, their pathway marked by the rich floral species around them.

The overall aim of the project has been to encourage landscape decision-makers to think about diverse ways in which landscapes are sensed, valued and experienced over time by different groups of people.

Ben Oliver, says, “It’s important we think about how the arboretum is used and experienced by all groups of people to ensure everyone can learn and have a brilliant day out and experience the trees in all their glory. It also helps us as staff look at where we can make changes such as staff inclusion training to help us be a more accessible site’.