Author: Spectra

  • Spectra is seeking Board Members

    Spectra is seeking Board Members

    We are seeking new board members to offer strategic guidance and expertise to ensure Spectra achieves its aims and community purpose. We are looking for someone with: Please click the link below to fill in a short form telling us why you’re interested in joining the Board and what skills and/or experience you would offer.…

  • Paid Opportunity for Learning Disabled and Autistic Artists

    Paid Opportunity for Learning Disabled and Autistic Artists

    This opportunity is now closedSubscribe to our mailing list to hear about future opportunities, events and news. We are expanding our shadowing artist programme! This opportunity is for West Midlands-based learning disabled and autistic creatives who would like to develop their leadership skills and gain more experience in running creative workshops. Deadline for applications: 9…

  • Shadowing and Letting Creativity Bloom

    Shadowing and Letting Creativity Bloom

    In this blog, Ray, who is a Shadow Artist with Spectra, writes about: Words by Ray VMFeatured image by Tod Jones My name is Ray VM. I am a freelance artist based in Birmingham. This includes but is not limited to poetry, performance, workshop facilitation, life modelling and papermaking. One day, I was noodling around…

  • IDEAS Lab: Paid Opportunity for Learning Disabled Artists

    IDEAS Lab: Paid Opportunity for Learning Disabled Artists

    Do you have an idea for a performance that you are passionate about exploring? Spectra’s IDEAS Lab can help! This coming January we are offering four Learning Disabled Artists time, funds and support to research and develop a creative idea.  Q and A session – Open Zoom Room on Thursday 20th November 4.00 – 5.00pm.…

  • What It Takes To Be A Boss

    What It Takes To Be A Boss

    In this blog, Hazel, who is doing a research project with Spectra, writes about: Words by Hazel SealeafFeatured image by Kate Green The Boss. It makes me picture corny inspirational posters from the 2010s, or maybe fleets of suits marching into The Apprentice season 427. But it’s a word I’m warming to. For those of…

  • It All Starts With A Seedling: An Update on our Environmental Book Club

    It All Starts With A Seedling: An Update on our Environmental Book Club

    In this blog, Maisy writes about: In July, our Environmental Book Club put the books aside for a session and instead temporarily became the ‘Environmental Film & Video Club’. As a group, we discussed three short videos; a campaign, a short film, and a movie trailer. We shared how they made us feel, the moments…

  • An apothecary garden: Resilience, close looking and the seed bank

    An apothecary garden: Resilience, close looking and the seed bank

    Words and illustrations by Ruby Lewis, Community Lead Seed banks exist in soil. They can lie dormant for years, waiting for the right opportunity, to be exposed to light, for moisture to reach them, for the right conditions to arrive.

  • Spectra is seeking a Researcher

    Spectra is seeking a Researcher

    Applications to this role are now CLOSED Purpose: To evidence, analyse and demonstrate the impact of Spectra’s work  Aim: To use historical and newly collected data to create a report / resource about our current and potential impact that is both meaningful and genuinely accessible to people with learning disabilities. Terms: Freelance contract, October 2025…

  • Documenting The Commons: Baking in Access From The Very Beginning

    Documenting The Commons: Baking in Access From The Very Beginning

    Words by Hayley Guest, Creative LeadFeatured image by Tod Jones *Fade from black* The film opens on a shot of a garden. In the foreground, an intricately decorated wooden sign reads ‘Welcome to The Commons’, and behind this there are areas of lush green grass, light gravel paths, juvenile trees and curved wooden planters. In…

  • An Update on our Anti-Racism Action

    An Update on our Anti-Racism Action

    As we regroup for another year, part of our reflections include reviewing our action plans to recognise what we have achieved and where we can push ourselves further.  Progress So Far Below is a brief list of actions that have been achieved and embedded into our practice so far since our Anti-Racism Action Plan was…