Associate Artist Franki Ayres: The Shape of Me
A sensory project about identity by Franki Ayres
As we prepare to announce Oily Cart’s new Associate Artist, we want to share and celebrate some of the incredible work of our former Associate Artists, that happened mostly behind closed doors throughout the pandemic.
Let us introduce you to Franki Ayres (our 2020-2021 Associate Artist), a brilliant multi-disciplinary artist whose work spans playful and relational inanimate objects, visual tactile art, sculpture and film. Franki loves working with objects, with bodies and with people, especially those who aren’t always listened to. His projects are often led by the young people he works with. We felt a natural synergy with the ways Franki works, so we invited him to come and play in a sensory way!
During his residency, Franki explored identity and visibility. He was interested in how sensory creativity could be used as an expressive outlet and support to young people who identify as both disabled and trans / gender diverse. Prevented from working directly with young people by the pandemic, Franki drew on his experience as a listener in youth work spaces and as a mentor with Gendered Intelligence to design a series of accessible, online sensory workshops for young people holding that dual identity (often amongst others). Franki was passionate about creating content that could be enjoyed even if the young people couldn’t leave their bedrooms because of barriers to their access.
“I wanted to have a space that was inclusive and accessible but optional, so you can participate without being physically in the space. The workshops are designed for Zoom with accompanying sensory packs for participants to use in the workshops or by themselves.’
Space to be seen. Space to be heard
The Shape of Me was about making safe, creative spaces where trans and gender diverse young people who also identify as disabled and/or neurodivergent can be seen, heard and validated.
“I naturally thought about sensation and shape…the shape of me and taking up space.”
Franki envisaged an expressive outlet for disabled, gender diverse young people that wasn’t medicalised, pathologised or dominated by talking therapies.
One way that Franki ensured that the trans/disabled young people felt comfortable and welcomed into the space, was to make sure that they could see themselves and their own identities reflected in the facilitators and all visual cues in the sessions. For example, videos included hands with varnished nails in the colours of the trans flag. These signals were never pointed out or made explicit. There were many layers of careful detail put in place to ensure that every participant felt welcome and seen.
Sensory Imagination
Many people in the trans community have chronic pain and chronic fatigue. Franki wanted to acknowledge this by beginning each of his sessions with a body scan or creative meditation, which he often uses himself to manage pain and listen deeply to his body.
“Until I started [this project] I hadn’t realised how ableist the language around meditation is…It’s all body normative, two hands, two legs (when you are doing a body scan for example). And being alert means to ‘sit up.’ So along with changing my language and making it universal, there’s room…to reaffirm there is no right or wrong way. Going at your own pace and making your own settled, sensory landscape where you feel safe, comfortable and supported. That could mean bringing your pet, a favourite drink, or food or scent or texture into your space.“
Franki named this beginning visualisation a ‘Sensory Imagination’, which were pre-recorded videos (to leave space for rest for the facilitator, as a way of building access into the workshop structure.) In the Sensory Imagination everything’s suggested, not dictated. You can lie, sit, move around; you can listen, opt in or out or simply watch the video.
Sensory Making
Franki took great time and care in choosing and experimenting with using different tactile materials to make sure there were multiple entry points into creating, regardless of barriers to access. After initially playing with light and shadows to create new body shapes, he then introduced the use of trans flag coloured ‘squish’ (soft, malleable material) and wire as a way of “drawing by feeling.”
In each workshop the young people use a different material to create a visual/tactile representation of the different dimensions of their identity. Sensory theatre techniques then reveal the many dimensions of the mini sculptures, and the participants end with their own unique shape. “Me/the shape I am.”
What next?
The Shape of Me represented the first step of a longer-term project Franki envisions, named ‘Gender Journeys’ which he hopes can open up more creative and inclusive ways of supporting trans / gender diverse young people, giving them tools to be with their own bodies on their terms, and to express themselves in a process that can too often be dominated by medical professionals. He hopes this will in turn give them greater agency in the process of their transitions, or coming back to themselves.
Franki has partnered with Gendered Intelligence to deliver these workshops and is on the look-out for more accomplices and partners to continue the work he has been developing to be able to reach as many young people as possible.
During Franki’s residency, we were struck by the depth, care and detail that Franki went into the creation of this safe space. It is only when people feel safe that you can expect them to feel comfortable enough to play, explore and create. He is clearly at the tip of the iceberg in terms of the potential of this work, as he hinted,
“I would like to find a way to have an exhibition or an installation where young people could, if they wanted to, share and learn about their identities.”
Franki’s residency opened up a new application of Oily Cart’s sensory theatre practice. We were delighted to see how our sensory approach has potential to break down barriers for young people who clearly deserve more support and creative nourishment than is currently available to them. We are privileged to have been a small part of Franki’s own journey in developing his ideas.
Franki’s has contributed to a Harper Collins anthology of 12 stories around mental health entitled Will You Read This, Please? to be published in 2023.
Read about Franki’s collaboration with Oily Cart on Something Love
Contact Franki to find out more about his work or enquire about collaborations at franki.a.ayres@gmail.com
Oily Cart’s Associate Artist programme champions and supports disabled artists to develop their sensory theatre practice and develop leadership skills to create a more representative sensory theatre making sector. Our 2022 Associate Artist will be announced soon.