Proposal for
The Gift
A Photographic Exhibition
Exploring Life Beyond Limits
A Collaborative Project of
No Limits Media and The United Nations
The Project
"The Gift" is a photographic exhibition which gives a different and positive image to the realities of living with disabilities. The title arises from a shared perception among people with disabilities that their disability enables them to experience the world in a insightful, empathic and sometimes exhalative way, not usually available to the able bodied. This exhibition is being created to show everyone how this gift works through a unique series of dramatic photos, video clips and samples of intriguing technologies. The Gift is being designed to travel around the world under the auspices of the United Nations, so that it can demonstrate the possibilities and new vision for all people with disabilities. This exhibition will be mounted by No Limits Media (NLM) in collaboration with the UN Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the U.N. Office of Exhibitions.
The themes embodied in The Gift photographic collection, grew out of the successful exhibition at the UN headquarters called Raising the Bar. That show featured dramatic images of Paralympic athletes in elite competition. The Gift will expand on the theme of achievement in disabilities and is intended to be shown at UN offices around the world. It is intended to help elevate awareness and promote universal passage of the Convention which affirms respect for difference and acceptance of persons with disabilities as part of human diversity and humanity and assumes their full and effective participation and inclusion in society.
Background
The impetus for The Gift grew out of the 2005 collaboration between, No Limits Media (NLM) and the U.N. Office of Exhibition Together, they mounted the photo exhibition Raising the Bar: New Perspectives on Disability Sports. Formally opened by King Abdullah II of Jordan, this breakthrough show was based on the book Raising the Bar, (Umbrage Editions, Joukowsky and Rothstein). Both the book and the exhibition received wide praise for its presentation of the dramatic images of people with disabilities using Paralympic sports to accommodate to their disabilities.
Rather than focusing on the challenging realities to which people with disabilities must adjust, Raising the Bar offered a positive and forward-looking depiction of their lives. No Limits Media is proud to have worked with the United Nations creating a public reminder that people with disabilities are, in fact, part of the mainstream.
The Proposal
No Limits Media (NLM) and the UN office of Exhibitions is developing new multimedia show, to be called The Gift. This photographic exhibition is being created to provide new image of people with disabilities who achieve excellence in sports, performance and the arts. This photographic collection is being curated for display at the UN headquarters and UN offices worldwide. It is a showcase of images from the broad spectrum of disabilities related activities.
The 40 to 60 images in The Gift will explore three primary thematic areas including:
- the drama of disability sports
- the creative efforts of disabled painters, dancers, and musicians
- Expressions of achievement within the developing world.
The exhibition will also highlight the ways in which inclusive activities, technology and design are changing the way people with disabilities can engage with the world. As was the case in Raising the Bar, the goal is to present an alternative window on the worlds of those facing disabilities. Rather than focusing on the difficult conditions under which the subjects of the photos live, the show will offer a positive and forward-looking depiction of their lives. No Limits Media's mission is to show how people with disabilities are part of the mainstream.
The images in The Gift will also inspire viewers everywhere, including the staff of U.N. offices. Indeed, Raising the Bar energized UN workers who saw the exhibition, who were reminded that their mission is to make the world better for everyone.
Mounting the Exhibition
The images in The Gift will be set up for as easy packing and shipping as a traveling exhibition. The Gift will first display in the large exhibit space in the U.N. lobby sometime in Fall of 2008, and then travel to major UNC offices internationally. A smaller version is being mounted to premier in Beijing during the Paralympics and then travel to smaller UN offices over the next several years. UN offices that have expressed interest in this exhibition include:
Johannesburg, South Africa Moscow, Russia
Geneva Switzerland Paris, France
Tokyo, Japan Sao Paolo, Brazil
Beijing, China Amman, Jordan
Bangkok, Thailand Belgrade, Serbia
The Gift will offer sponsor organizations an important opportunity to show their support for the disabled and underscore the importance of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Contact information
Prospective corporate and foundational sponsors interested in supporting this unique opportunity are invited to contact one of the following:
- Artemis Joukowsky III, Chairman , No Limits Media: 508-650- 2077
- Daniel Jones, Executive Director, No Limits Media: 617-817-3638
- Jan Arnesen, Director, United Nations Exhibitions: 212-963-8531
“The Gift” will offer sponsor organizations an important opportunity to show their support for the disabled and underscore the importance of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Links:
Contact No Limits Media.
Provide your support to this exhibition.
Find out more about the UN Convention..
