Preview: The Sheer Brass Neck @ Newcastle Contemporary Art

Image: Geof Armstrong by Alan Don (image courtesy of Arcadea CIO)

Newcastle Contemporary Art marks 30 years since the Disability Discrimination Act with The Sheer Brass Neck, a major exhibition that brings the radical history of disability arts in the North East into conversation with new work by disabled artists today. Presented with Arcadea Disability Arts and North East Museums, the show draws on the rarely seen archive of NorDAF — the Northern Disability Arts Forum — a disabled‑led organisation active through the 1980s and 1990s whose posters, publications and photographs capture a moment when artists and activists were reshaping cultural spaces on their own terms. The exhibition also honours the legacy of the late Geof Armstrong, a driving force behind NorDAF and later Arcadea, whose work helped build the vibrant studio community that continues today.

Alongside this archival material, Arcadea’s Hub Studio Artists present new pieces responding directly to the archive’s activist energy, exploring how access, authorship and representation have shifted — and where barriers still remain.

Newcastle City Council Resident Artist Lily Kroese has also collaborated with neurodiverse young women from Arcadea’s Hub Studio to create work for the show.

Lily said,  “I have been Artist in Residence for the past 6 months, leading a day of art making for a group of brilliant disabled women artists. I hoped to inspire self-expression and creativity through workshops inspired by different disabled artists around the world.

“The artwork created is as unique as each artist. However, the most valuable outcome is the friendships and confidence built within the group. Spaces in which disabled artists are encouraged to be exactly who they are allow us to flourish, creatively, professionally and socially. I’m so glad to have had the chance to facilitate a space like this during the residency.”

The exhibition frames disability arts not as a closed chapter in cultural history, but as a living, evolving practice shaped by community, resistance, and creative ambition.

Arcadea CIO Katy Saunderson adds, “This project has enabled Hub Studio artists to engage creatively with their radical heritage at a time when the rights of disabled people are once again under threat. Alongside this, we’ve been lucky to work with some brilliantly talented disabled people on this project, such as researchers, advisors and filmmakers.

“The presentation of this exhibition by a contemporary art gallery, supported by Heritage Lottery funding, represents both recognition of the artists’ talent and affirmation of the movement’s enduring significance.”

The exhibition is free and runs 17th April–9th May with an opening event on 16th April (5–7pm) and regular hours Thursday–Saturday, 12–5pm.

Lily Mae Kroese Illustration of the women’s group working with Lily Mae Kroese through Newcastle City Council