Nottingham Asylum Project, Backlit Gallery, 2020
Soft Estate (Wingshan Smith, Colette Griffin, George Chinnery)
Role: Artist Facilitator

For the Nottingham Asylum Project, Soft Estate collaborated with communities based at or located in close proximity to King Edward Park in Sneinton, the site of the first county Asylum (1812), designed to separate those inside from society. Patients were treated for what we now understand as mental health illnesses. The term asylum originally meant a place of refuge, safety and protection. Like King Edwards Park and society’s understanding of mental health, the meaning of certain words has changed over time.

Over a series of workshops, the group navigated the site and its history through language, discussion and meditate walking practices. The outcome, an experimental polyvocal audio-visual work, will depict individuals’ interactions with the park, reflecting on the importance of accessible intercity green spaces during a global pandemic.