Live Illustration for the Social History of Learning Disability Conference
This summer, The Open University invited me to provide live illustration across their two-day Social History of Learning Disability (SHLD) Conference in Milton Keynes, now in its 30th year.
Elizabeth Tilley, Professor of Learning Disability Studies at the Open University, reached out with the following brief:
To create a visual record of the two days, including presentations, discussions, and workshops.
To help capture attendees’ memories and reflections about SHLD. Many participants have been part of the SHLD community for years, and the team hoped to produce a newsletter or reflective piece after the conference. Graphic recording was suggested as a way to capture key moments throughout the event.
The conference was packed with presentations and interactive workshops, featuring international speakers and a participatory session from three dance companies: Corali, icandance, and Magpie Dance. It was thrilling to illustrate dance and movement in real-time!
Much of the content was highly personal and sensitive. I aimed to capture these stories with dignity and respect. Historically, people with learning disabilities have been ostracised, discriminated against and left on the margins of society. The conference highlighted these challenges and the growing momentum to create communities of interest and support.
As a learning disability advocate, and with lived experience as a sibling to a sister with profound and multiple learning disabilities, I drew on this background to interpret the stories into visuals that were both empathetic and authentic.
“Esther was the live illustrator at our recent conference and did a fantastic job. She was a pleasure to work with throughout the whole process - responsive, flexible and sensitive. The images brilliantly capture both the content of conference presentations and workshop discussions, but also the atmosphere. Esther’s canvasses are a fantastic visual reminder of the event and will also be useful to support web and social media content in the future.”
You can see the full suite of illustrations I created across the two days here:
Scroll along to see the drawings
If you’d like to see how live illustration and working with a live illustrator can bring your event to life and capture stories with impact, get in touch to discuss your project.
