The Dyslexia Portrait:
Reviews and Media
Humber Street Gallery - Ten 'Must-See' exhibitions across Hull
Square Peg Blogger Michelle Dee
'Try Reading how one in ten of us feel' - Article in The Yorkshire Post'
One picture worth ten thousand words? a-n The Artists Information Company Review
View the world through the eyes of another with The Dyslexia Portrait - HEY Today
Having the Dyslexia Project in our school has allowed for the profile to be raised amongst our school and local community. Families and friends of Francis Askew were able to come and view the interesting works that showcase Dyslexia in different ways. It was interesting to read the backstories of each individual and even better to hear the interviews that took place via an audio station. The project has encouraged our local community to visit our school, making it a central hub for the area. We have found not only are the staff now engaging in positive conversations around the condition but the children are too. Kate talked to a group of parents who have children with a diagnosis of Dyslexia and they were able to have an overview of the condition with many of their questions answered. The children felt uplifted after this talk as Miranda pointed out their many already-existing attributes that have enabled them to be successful so far. I would highly recommend the Dyslexia Project.
Jenna Thompson, SENCo
Francis Askew Primary School
"We had a viewing of the exhibition with our students at Pathway Plus last week. We had the opportunity to meet two local artists, including Kate. This was a great opportunity for our students who were able to learn, not only about art in general which is something the students do not always get much chance to do, but also about an issue which affects many of our group - dyslexia. The art itself was very accessible for our learners. It was also a great chance to hear the insights from Miranda, who was able to aspire our students to get more involved in the community in a positive way. Hopefully it has inspired our students to get involved with art in general. Following this event, we are now looking at embedding more art into our timetable at Pathway Plus. Thank you."
Sam Chegwin, Pathway Plus
The Dyslexia Portrait at Hull Collegiate -
A collaboration between Kate Harr and pupils in the Prep School with dyslexia or literacy difficulties.
Kate came in for a two-hour workshop with the pupils, where they discussed their experiences of dyslexia, positive and negative, and produced a piece of artwork arising from the discussions.The pupils’ artwork was displayed in school alongside Kate’s own work.Kate also gave a talk to parents, pupils and teachers to open the exhibition.
Staff Review:
The collaboration with Kate was very affirmative. The pupils enjoyed the workshop and the opportunity to talk about the positives and negatives of their dyslexic experiences with other dyslexic pupils in the school. Kate shared her own dyslexic experience and told the pupils that one in ten people were dyslexic, that they belonged to the dyslexia club and that dyslexia was their superpower. She talked about some famous people with dyslexia. Most pupils engaged well with the discussion and creative activities and produced some very thoughtful and touching drawings, photographs and sculptures. The pupils’ work was displayed alongside Kate’s, and this worked very well as there were many parallels. The pupils appreciated seeing their work on display. Kate’s talk to parents, pupils and teachers was interesting and useful, and provided a further forum for pupils and parents to share their experiences. I can highly recommend the whole process and look forward to working with Kate again.
Pupils’ Reviews:
A few weeks ago we did a dyslexia workshop with an artist called Kate and we drew whatever we wanted. We got to talk about our emotions and Kate said that dyslexia is our superpower. We all agreed that it is nothing to be sad about. On Tuesday our artwork was shown with Kate's. We got to choose our favorite picture and we all had different ideas about each one. I liked Rufus's picture and my favorite of Kate's was the one that had some words falling off the edge of a cliff.
By Harrison
The Dyslexia Portrait was part of Hull City of Culture. The pictures represented people's dyslexic difficulties. The workshop was fun and I liked having the opportunity to talk about dyslexia and be with so many dyslexic people. My picture was about how I have all the words in my head but I don't know which ones to use or where to use them. I liked Kate's talk about dyslexia. I have done a lot of research about dyslexia and I was able to share some of my knowledge.
By Rufus
Praise for The Dyslexia Portrait Main Exhibition:
"A wonderful exhibition that really makes one realise the incredible diversity of the dyslexic experience"
"The photographs provided a new insight into dyslexia and are very powerful"
"The Dyslexia Portrait has taught me things I never knew about dyslexia as a condition, and my own experiences of understanding language and thought. A beautiful, and thought-provoking exhibition."
"The exhibition has really made me think deeply about how my students with dyslexia learn, and how I can better facilitate them."
"I am 13 and dyslexic, and I felt like I was the only person like this. Hearing and seeing that people are in the same situation as me is really reassuring. I am glad I am not alone."
"Great exhibition. School teachers should be strongly encourages to visit, to understand the issues."
"Volunteering today has been inspirational and thought provoking. I thought I knew what dyslexia was, but I had no idea of the scope. Brilliant!"
"Loved this exhibition, as a dyslexic it made me feel quite proud! I pride myself on being a problem solver, and I love the quote in the artwork 'Dyslexia is your superpower'."
"This exhibition really speaks for and resonates with we who have dyslexia".
"Really interesting selection of images and stories. Loved seeing those featured talking about their strengths as well as weaknesses."
"Very informative. Could be a great resource for school groups to experience".
"This exhibition is fascinating, and informative. An eye opener for the one in ten of us who suffer with dyslexia, and the other 9 in ten will benefit from learning about dyslexia. "
"Interesting exhibition, with stunning images of those who have been interviewed. I hope it helps to encourage and empower lots of other people with dyslexia to reach their potential. Good to have audio of the full interviews too."
"This exhibition is fantastic. This needs to be taken into schools. The art work is a marvellous representation of the descriptions".
A sample of comments from the comments book at The Dyslexia Portrait "Tell The World" City of Culture 2017 exhibition at The University of Hull, 2nd October - 11th November 2017.