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Sharif Persaud Film Wins Award

POSTED: 28 November 2020

Our friends at Project Art Works are joint winners of the Film London Jarman Award 2020, including Persaud’s film The Mask - a highlight in Autograph’s exhibition Have You Ever Had.


Sharif Persaud in the studio at Project Art Works
Project Art Works is the UK’s leading artist led organisation working with children, young people and adults who have complex support needs. The work they do in the cultural sector around issues of disability and representation is vitally important, showing what inclusion and care can mean in the arts. We’re proud to have worked with Project Art Works since 2017, and the experience has changed Autograph, for the better.

Part of this collaboration is Sharif Persaud’s exhibition Have You Ever Had, launched in February 2020 but temporarily closed due to the pandemic. As an artist, Persaud explores identity through his experience of contemporary life and autism. He’s profoundly interested in the functions of the body in society: sneezing, healthcare, hospitals, gangrene, cities, flats, benefits and independence. His creative practice has been developed at Project Art Works, where he is a key contributor.

Autograph’s Mark Sealy curated the exhibition, and alongside drawings and paintings, he featured Persaud’s short film The Mask as both artwork and sonic backdrop. Persaud’s voice permeates the gallery, a compelling monologue of his life and thoughts. According to Sealy, it’s “a brilliant film that brings us closer to some of Persaud’s ideas and insights concerning celebrity, the body and identity”.
We are delighted that our friends at Project Art Works have jointly won the prestigious Film London Jarman Award 2020 for their film projects, including The Mask. It’s well-deserved recognition and a step forward for their mission to highlight the creative talent of neurodiverse artists. The Award celebrates ground-breaking artist films, nominated by experts across the UK. This years’ winners will share the £12,000 prize.

To celebrate, Project Art Works has made all of their winning films available to watch until 30 November on their website.

Congratulations to Persaud, and all the artists and team at Project Art Works! We look forward to working with you again in the future.

Sharif Persaud: Have You Ever Had at Autograph

FIND OUT MORE

Donate to support Project Art Works.

Read the Hackney Citizen’s review of Have You Ever Had.

Watch a video diary with Sharif Persaud Out and About on Lockdown.

Read Rights, Visibility and Disability in Cultural Spaces.

Follow Project Art Works on Instagram.

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Images, from top: 1) Sharif Persaud, film still from The Mask, 2017. 3 mins 46 seconds. Courtesy of Project Art Works 2) Sharif Persaud in the studio at Project Art Works. Courtesy Project Art Works. 3) Sharif Persaud: Have You Ever Had exhibition at Autograph. Curated by Mark Sealy. Photograph courtesy Zoë Maxwell.