Broken Grey Wires

Broken Grey Wires (BGW) was founded in 2016 by Lizz Brady after an admission to a psychiatric hospital due to a long period of mental distress / crisis. Since 2017, BGW has curated high quality, experimental contemporary art exhibitions within institutions across the UK, working with critically acclaimed artists such as Turner Prize winners Martin Creed and Gillian Wearing. BGW has also created opportunities for emerging artists to push their practice and for their work to seen by larger audiences. BGW uses each exhibition to develop connections and collaboration with other local mental health and art organisations, running creative workshops for communities, encouraging people to engage with art and creative projects as a way to better understand their own mental health. Our vision encompasses the following: Exploring radical, experimental ways to support people through their management of mental ill health by engaging with artistic adventure. Curating progressive visual art exhibitions depicting experiences of mental health illness that push the boundaries of artistic communication and expression. Managing BGW alongside people who identify as sick, disabled or mad. This lived experience is crucial to the bones of the organisation and enables radical empathy to connect with our communities. Working from our own art gallery to become a dedicated centre of support for local artists and visiting artists in the North-West. Making a powerful and distinctive difference to people who are going through the same things as we are. Removing the stigma of mental illness so our community can accept, manage and treat their mental health with support and understanding. Continuing with our shared values of identifying as disabled, being open about our own access needs and emotions, and by presenting our own vulnerability. During the last 18 months, we have been developing a Mad Manual Toolkit, and Comfort Zone accessibility spaces within galleries, concentrating on creating an inspiring voice to explore madness and disability, listening to those who identify as mad and being passionate about creating safer spaces and better support networks for communities. Currently we are focused on securing our own gallery space and to have a small number of art studios and mental health support for artists.