At Grand Union, we are constantly researching and learning. Every exhibition we visit, book we read and conversation we have feeds into the work we do, providing space for both reflection and inspiration. šā
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š Last week, Beth took a trip to see āSlime Motherā, a āmulti-sensory solo exhibitionā by artist and writer Abi Palmer at Site Gallery, Sheffield.ā
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Beth says: āAbi Palmerās āSlime Motherā was truly a delight to visit. Within Abiās absurdist construction of a world in which slugs (creatures that are rarely viewed with any affection) are exalted and worshipped, there are many moments of kindness, solidarity, and joy. šā
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Positioning slugs as āthe resilient, the wily, the virile, the abundant, the slippery, the adaptable, the obsceneā, the work shifts and subverts the perception of the āhated bodyā into an earthly reflection of the divine. Something attainable and shared rather than the typical untouchable and perfect Catholic icon. šā
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I was enamoured by the Slug Disco room, with huge slug sculptures suspended around a disco ball and four separate audio tracks delivered by headphones ā including cheesy love songs, pop bangers, and Psalms. There was a surreal humour and tenderness to this room that it was hard not to fall in love with. šŖ©ā
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Alongside the fabulous and sluggy artworks, there was so much care and attention given to accessibility within the exhibition, which made the visit feel comfortable and safe. This approach to accessibility really resonated with the work, making it sing even louder. Audio described and BSL interpreted versions of the film were played hourly; transcripts, comfortable and varied seating options, and both adult and child ear defenders were available and easy to find throughout the space; information was clearly and thoughtfully laid out, and there was a huge amount of online resources. I left the space feeling both held and inspired by āSlime Motherā. š ā
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You can find out more about āSlime Motherā at the link in our bio šā
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@abipalmer_bot ā
@sitegallery 
![Over the past six weeks, our Programme and Operations Co-Ordinator Beth has been attending a course entitled āStarting an Archiveā, with the Photographerās Gallery.ā ā As you may know, this year at Grand Union we secured our future home at Junction works. As we look forward to the future, weāve also been reflecting on our history as an organisation, and thinking about how best to preserve what weāve done over the past 15 years. ā ā Beth says: āThis course has been really fascinating, as weāve been learning a lot about the practical considerations involved in archiving ā down to how to transport delicate papers and the best kinds of storage boxes for different materials. I particularly enjoyed learning about digital archiving systems that can be put into operation to manage file-finding and data storage. ļø ā ā Often when thinking about archives, Iām immediately drawn to more theoretical considerations, so the opportunity to gain some hands-on skills and insights is very exciting. ā ā I often joke that Grand Unionās archive is our bathroom, because of all the posters of our exhibitions and events past that wallpaper the room. I canāt wait to bring some of this new knowledge and thinking to the materials of Grand Unionās past, making our history more visible and accessible; not just on our walls!ā ā ā @thephotographersgalleryā @beth_exleyā ā [Image description:ā ā A portrait image of Grand Unionās bathroom wall which is covered in colourful exhibition posters and texts. They are orientated at an angle. Some large titles, such as āThinking Hand Scratch-ing Headā, āGon-Goozlerā, āWe smileā are very visible, whilst others are partially cut off by the frame of the image, or the text is too small to comfortably read.]](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6720443333336463552459_0_9801bc526a75c8523077013a2191c907.jpg?o=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&h=98314f0df20fe4b502acffac4e057f49)
