A Sense of Belonging: Voices of bemix

The "A Sense of Belonging" exhibition at The Beaney in Canterbury, which ran from November 2024 to January 2025, showcased a collection of works by artists with learning disabilities and/or autism in bemix. The exhibition explored the powerful theme of belonging, through animation, film, sound, woodwork, poetry, tapestry, origami, and photography. One element of the exhibition was "Voices of bemix," an animated sound project designed to explore and express what belonging meant to people.

Inspired by our bemix strapline "be seen, heard, belong," and a scene from the 1960 film "The Time Machine," "Voices of bemix" was planned as a project to film people in bemix speaking about their experiences of belonging. However, the project developed into an audio and animation project, where people shared how it felt to belong in bemix. The voices became the heart of the animation, bringing the idea of belonging to life in a way that felt authentic personal.

Early planning notes for the "Voices of bemix" project. Text and diagrams are written on a whiteboard.

The project was co-produced by bemix projects "Be Animated," "Be Seen Be Heard," and "Music and Arts". The groups worked together to develop skills in audio editing and animation. Using editing software, "Audacity", project members edited audio clips, removed unwanted sounds, and adjusted the length of recordings to make sure they were consistent. They also took part in planning and reviewing the animation’s art direction, providing valuable feedback on how it should look and feel. This collaboration meant that everyone played a role in the project, creating a final piece that truly represented the voices of people in bemix.

Early testing of the "Voices of bemix" animation - shown digitally on a screen.

“I enjoyed the video and recording my voice.” - Jonathan

“I enjoyed editing the voices using Audacity.” - Stewart

“I enjoyed using the clapperboard and saying action when the group was recording.” - Jon

“I enjoyed the recording as I felt that I was helping people understand Autism.” - Nick

“Being a part of this event shows who we are and where we belong. I think there is a saying that every picture tells a story.” - Carmen

The 'Voices of bemix' was a powerful reflection on belonging and an opportunity for people to be seen, be heard, and belong - not only within the collaboration of projects but also within the wider community when exhibiting at The Beaney.

Thank you to all who joined us.

Press pay on the video below to watch and hear the "Voices of bemix" audio and animation:

To find out more about our projects, click here.