Who we are
The White Room is a charity and creative studio space that removes barriers to making art for people with learning disabilities and other under-served community members.
We foster self-expression, celebrate creativity, and promote greater inclusion in the arts.
What we do
Our creative studio space enables artists to access materials, professional support, and a judgement-free place where they can develop their art practice as part of a creative community. Our arts facilitators work one-on-one with artists, encouraging them to experiment with different mediums and ways of expressing themselves. Beyond the creative space, we work to build greater inclusion in the arts scene through:
Staging artists’ exhibitions
Fostering partnerships
Staging community arts workshops
Promoting the sale of artists’ work
Our work enables artists to express themselves, build a sense of purpose and pride, and connect with others through the shared language of creativity. It also allows the public to share in the talents of the people we work with.
Our history
Since our beginnings in 2014, The White Room has grown from a few art supplies in a chest on wheels to a dedicated creative space.
Set up as part of disability services agency SkillWise, staff could see the positive impact art activities were having on the people they worked with. This prompted staff to advocate for a dedicated space for making art. At the time, each room at SkillWise HQ was painted a different colour and the room chosen for the art making space just so happened to be the one painted white. And so The White Room was born.
We have evolved over the last decade, now encompassing a large fit-for-purpose creative studio space and a busy schedule of exhibitions and events. We are also increasingly taking our work out into the community, supporting traditionally under-served people to make art. We continue to advocate for removing barriers to participation in the art scene, and we continue to see the positive impact making art has on the people we work - not to mention the people they share their art with.
Setting up Isaac Tait’s solo exhibition ‘Why Are You Here’