Winsor & Newton X QUEERCIRCLE

As part of our commitment to supporting artists, we’re excited to announce a collaboration with QUEERCIRCLE, an LGBTQ+ charity working at the intersection of arts, culture, and social action whose mission is to provide a holistic environment which celebrates queer identity, champions arts and culture. 

With a new permanent home at the Design District on London’s Greenwich Peninsula which opened in summer 2022, this is an exciting opportunity for Winsor & Newton to align with QUEERCIRCLE to present an annual programme of physical and digital exhibition commissions, participatory artist residencies and a public programme designed to strengthen links between arts, culture, health and wellbeing. We will be providing materials for the ongoing art education programme and look forward to seeing how they are used in the hands of the artists that are part of the QUEERCIRCLE community.  

We’re also joining Arts Council England to support British artist Michaela Yearwood-Dan as she opens her solo exhibition ‘Let Me Hold You’, the inaugural show in the new purpose-built gallery. We’ll be speaking with Michaela about her work and her vision for transforming the gallery into a work of art. Working site-specifically in acrylic on a curved wall and on custom made seating designed to create a sanctuary for visitors, Yearwood-Dan will also show sculptural ceramics, a recent development in her practice, and incorporate natural life with the inclusion of plants in the gallery space. These elements join to foster an atmosphere of quiet reflection, in line with the environmental focus of QUEERCIRCLE’s programme this year. 

Each year, participating artists and organisations will be invited to respond to a theme; the centre’s first year of programming will be centred around ‘ecology’. Originating from the Greek word ‘oikos’ meaning ‘household’ or ‘dwelling place’, ecology is a fitting theme as QUEERCIRCLE opens its new home and invites participants to consider topical concerns around the natural world. 

Ashley Joiner, Founder and Director of QUEERCIRCLE says:  

“With increasing cuts being made to arts education and vital mental health services, it is necessary for us to reimagine the role cultural spaces play in society. We now have an opportunity to collaboratively design community-informed programmes that push the boundaries of arts and culture, learning, and health and wellbeing in a holistic environment that recognises the impact each has on the other.” 

We look forward to sharing more about this partnership in the coming months; for more information about QUEERCIRCLE visit their website here or follow them on Instagram @queercircle.