A Common Thread emerged from the 2x2 UK-China Disability Arts Residency Programme, which brings together disabled artists from China and the UK to explore more inclusive and sustainable approaches to international cultural collaboration through exchange and co-creation.
A Common Thread brings these encounters, exchanges and collaborations together in a performative art installation. Through movement, sound and gesture, four artists from China and the UK weave together traditional textiles from their respective cultures, sharing personal experiences of body, movement and being. Audiences are invited to join this journey and reflect on the connections and possibilities that emerge when different worlds are woven together.
The project also continues through an accompanying artist book. Bringing together texts, images and personal reflections from participants, the publication captures stories, ideas and creative practices developed throughout the residency process. Extending the conversations and connections formed through the project, it invites readers to explore how artistic practice can foster more inclusive, equitable and creative forms of connection.