Seats of Change – Chair Trail

3 – 17 December, around Peterborough

About This Exhibition

(This exhibition has now finished).

Seats of Change by Fae Kilburn was an inspiring collection of 20 chairs displayed around Peterborough. The collection symbolised disabled people’s experiences of seating in public places, and each piece had a different quote relating to disability. Powerful phrases of frustration, pain, hope, and joy were displayed on each chair.

People were invited to touch or sit on the chairs and share their own experiences.

Seats of Change is part of Reasonable Adjustment – an exhibition raising awareness about the lives of d/Deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent (DDN) people in Peterborough. Fae ran creative workshops with 100+ deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent people across Peterborough to create a collection of artworks that both celebrate and challenge stigma in society about what it means to live as DDN.

“An empty chair may stereotypically represent feelings of loneliness, where two full seats can signify family, friendship and fun. However, for DDN individuals, chairs also offer people the opportunity to rest, heal and be independent.” – Fae Kilburn

Childrens Chairs

“I find it difficult to make friends. I often don’t know what to say or do. I feel like I never quite fit in.”

A small yellow childrens chair with a plastic backrest and strong plastic base. Red writing saying: "I find it difficult to make friends,<br />
I feel like i never quite fit in, I often don't know what to say or do. " This chair is situated in the Dice Box games cafe in Peterborough and stood at the back of the room with the foliage wall behind it and the blue information plinth to the left of it.

Location: The Dice Box Cafe, 29 Bridge Street, Peterborough, PE1 1HJ

Opening Times: Tuesday – Saturday, 11am – 11pm. Sunday 11am – 8pm.

“Deaf friends make me feel included”

A small green childrens chair with 4 green legs, a plastic backrest and strong plastic seating base. White writing saying: Deaf friends make me feel included." This chair is situated in the Nova primary school in the hallways with a white painted brickwall behind the chair, and a blue information plinth to the left of it.

Location: Nova Primary Academy, Middleton, Peterborough PE3 9XJ

Not open to public.

“Why are you so shocked I’m educated? take a moment & think about what that says about you, not me!“

An adults chair with no arms, and wooden legs, a wooden top backrest and wooden seating base. Black writing saying: "Why are you so shocked that i'm educated? Take a moment and think about what that says about you not me!" This chair is situated in St Johns Church in Peterborough. Its on a concrete floor with a blue information plinth to the right of it.

Location: St John’s Church, Church St, Peterborough PE1 1XB

Opening Times: Monday – Saturday, 10am – 4pm. Sunday services.

Adult Chair with Arms

White fabric on the chair with poem about M.E (chronic fatigue syndrome).

An adults lounging chair with arms, and wooden legs, an off white cushioned top backrest and base. Black writing on the chair fabric saying: "We're tired of crashing. We're tired of the crushing fatigue. We're tired of the endless continuous grief. We're tired of face ableism and inaccessibility. We're tired of living in fear of this diseases capabilities. We're tired of flighting to be believed. We're tired of unmanageable symptoms and living with M.E. But we are mainly tired of people believing we're just tired!" This chair is situated in Anglia Ruskin University in Peterborough. Its on a smooth stone tiled floor with a blue information plinth to the left of it and a Christmas tree to the right.

Location: Anglia Ruskin University, University House, University Quarter, Bishop’s Road, Peterborough, PE1 5BW.

Opening Times: Monday – Friday, 10am – 4pm.

Access info:

We are a five-minute walk from the city centre and parking is available in Bishop’s Road car park (payable).

We can welcome visitors Monday – Friday from 10am – 4pm. Please note we are closed for Christmas from Friday 22 December 2023 – Monday 1 January 2024 (inclusive).

Our campus is fully accessible with single level entry, consistent lighting, disabled facilities and lifts (should anyone wish to have a tour – subject to staff availability).

Waiting Room Chair with Arms

“Still waiting for Equality”

Location: Scope Charity Shop, 20 Herewood Cross, Peterborough PE1 1TB

Opening Times: Monday – Saturday, 9am – 5pm

Adult Chair without Arms

Black background with white text relating to disability

An adults wooden chair without arms, wooden legs, a wooden backrest with rectangle holes in it and a base with a cushion on top. The writing on the cushion base says : "Disability Rights. Time for change. We all have a right to be heard. Disibility Discrimination act 1999. Reasonable Adjustments. Education is a key for change. The Equality Act 2010. Stop Discrimination. The chai is stood on the wooden floor in the cafe at the Peterborough Museum.

Location: Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery Café, 51 Priestgate, Peterborough PE1 1LF

Opening Times: Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 4pm

Yellow Braille Chair

“People’s assumption is that they know more than me because they can see.”

An adults plastic yellow chair without arms, metal grey legs, a yellow plastic backrest and base. Black brail writing on the backrest of the chair, and writing on the back o fthe backrest saying: People's assumption is that they know more than me because they can see!' The chair is based as Serpentine Green Shopping Centre in Peterborough. The chair is on the smooth stone floor in the shopping centre with shops blurry in the background.

An adults plastic yellow chair without arms, metal grey legs, a yellow plastic backrest and base. Its facing away with its back showing. There is someone sitting in the chair facing away too. They have short bobbed wavey hair and a dark winter top on. The writing on the back of the backrest says : "People's assumption is that they know more than me because they can see!" The chair is based as Serpentine Green Shopping Centre in Peterborough. The chair is on the smooth stone floor in the shopping centre with shops blurry in the background.

Location: Serpentine Green Shopping Centre (Outside JD Sports & Clarks, North Entrance), Hargate Way, Hampton, Peterborough PE7 8BE

Opening Times: Monday – Saturday, 9am – 8pm, Sunday 10am – 4pm

See Through Chair

“Stop treating us like we are invisible”

Location: Dementia Resource Centre, 5 York Road, Peterborough, PE1 3BP

Opening Times: Monday – Friday, 9am – 4:30pm

Please note, this building and service is for anyone affected by dementia , or maybe worried about their Memory – The general public are not able to pop in and see this chair.

To view the map of the chair trail with all locations on - Click here...

For more about the Reasonable Adjustment Exhibition - Click here...

About Fae

A black and white image of artist Fae Kilburn. She is stood working at a large printing machine handling a large piece of white paper. A concentrating look on her face.

Fae Kilburn is a Midlands based artist and arts facilitator, specialising in printmaking with a Masters in Fine Art.

Creating disability awareness is an important part of her practice. As is incorporating the narrative of other disabled people in her art and making her workshops and participatory events accessible and inclusive.

Fae will be delivering a series of art workshops in Peterborough that celebrate the perspectives of disabled d/Deaf and Neurodivergent individuals and also explore the barriers faced.

These narratives will be incorporated into a final piece of artwork created by Fae and displayed alongside the participants’ work.

https://www.faekilburn.co.uk

Instagram @FaeKilburn