Special flags will be flying across Portsmouth and the Spinnaker Tower lit up next week to mark Portsmouth’s first learning disability-led arts festival Pivot Fest.
The flag, which features the wording ‘I’m A Portsmouth Thing’, has been designed by This New Ground artist Orlando Richardson*, to help celebrate the creativity, connection, community and inclusivity Pivot Fest, which runs from Friday, 8 May to Sunday, 10 May, aims to inspire in the city.
Iconic city venues to fly flags
Venues that will be flying the festival flag, which have been donated by the Hampshire Flag Company, include Portsmouth City Council, Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth Guildhall, Square Tower, Portsmouth Cathedral, Portsmouth Central Library and Southsea Library.
Flags will also appear in the windows of retailers including Lucy & Yak at Gunwharf Quays and Lush at the Cascades Shopping Centre.
Spinnaker Tower Light Up
In support of the festival and learning disability awareness, the city’s iconic Spinnaker Tower will be lit up in yellow at dusk on the opening day of the festival next Friday (8 May).
Exciting festival lineup
Three-day festival Pivot Fest, hosted at Aspex Portsmouth at Gunwharf Quays, has been curated by a powerhouse group of 13 artists from This New Ground, an organisation that helps to elevate the voices and artistic talents of people with a learning disability.
Pivot Fest will see exciting performances featuring artists with a learning disability from across the UK, including dancer Andrew Self who appeared on BBC show The Greatest Dancer and Robyn’s Rocket, a live band playing experimental, playful jazz.
The festival also includes digital art workshops, a movement workshop with disability-led circus company Head Over Wheels, The Best of Oska Bright Film Festival (the world’s leading BAFTA and BIFA-qualifying film festival for learning disabled and autistic creators) and neurodivergent-friendly silent disco sessions with Disco Neurotico.
‘I’m A Portsmouth Thing’ inclusivity message
To celebrate this landmark moment for Portsmouth, with the city’s first arts festival led by and featuring people with a learning disability, This New Ground’s artists wanted Pivot Fest to have its own festival flag as a bold and uplifting expression of visibility and pride.
The ‘I’m a Portsmouth Thing’ artwork featured on the flag, created by artist and University of Portsmouth alumni Orlando Richardson, was inspired by a quote from Ray, a man interviewed by This New Ground artists about his experiences growing up in Portsmouth as someone with a learning disability. It was chosen as the artists felt his words carry a strong sense of inclusivity and are a fitting way to celebrate Pivot Fest.
Emma Stallard, a member of the This New Ground Inclusive Arts Committee presenting Pivot Fest, said: “Pivot Fest is a chance for us to celebrate who we are and what we love. We’re so excited to share our amazing flag and festival with the city and for people to see what people with a learning disability are capable of and how talented we are. We hope to inspire more people with a learning disability that they can do it too.”
Pivot Fest – making history in Portsmouth
William Owen, co-manager of Square Tower, said: “Square Tower has been part of Portsmouth’s rich history since 1494 and we’re proud to be playing our part in celebrating this important history for the city and flying the festival flag.”
A colourful, inflatable sculpture called ‘We Rise’, created by This New Ground artists in collaboration with acclaimed digital artist Jason Wilsher-Mills, will also be on display at Gunwharf Quays next weekend. It’s inspired by Portsmouth’s historic coat of arms and decorated in digital drawings, self-portraits and words celebrating the power and talents of people with a learning disability.
Yvonne Clay, centre director at Gunwharf Quays, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting this ground-breaking festival and celebrating the talents of people in Portsmouth with a learning disability by proudly flying the festival flag and displaying this wonderful sculpture.”
She added: “We hope visitors to Gunwharf next weekend will also go along and support the excellent programme of free events at Pivot Fest, which is taking place at Aspex Portsmouth located inside the centre.”
For the full programme of Pivot Fest events and to book sessions, which are free, visit Aspex Portsmouth — Pivot Fest
New oral histories archive at city library
An exhibition, called Inside also organised by This New Ground, inspired by stories of people in Portsmouth with a learning disability, is now on at Aspex Portsmouth until 7 June. Guided tours of the exhibition are also taking place during Pivot Fest.
The collection of stories which inspired the exhibition, are the result of two years of dedicated work by the This New Ground team. They are now permanently being held in the local archive at the Portsmouth Central Library History Centre and are also available to listen to at www.groundworkarchive.com
This New Ground artist Steven Robinson said: “I think it’s important for people to learn, especially those who may be blind, in a sense, to our world of people with a learning disability. This work we have done is really important. I have enjoyed interviewing people, learning about their lives and making it into history.”