When Bill Riddall died suddenly in 2021, the Centre for Independent Living NI lost a dedicated Board member, friend and determined disability right campaigner.
Bill had been on the Board of the Centre for Independent Living NI since 2004.
Bill was a wheelchair user and a vocal and determined campaigner for disability rights in both England and in Northern Ireland. He loved art and sport in equal measure and pressed all the buttons he could to improve access, be it to rugby in stadiums, drama in theatres or the green peace of trees in parks and woods.

Bill Riddall collection

To mark and remember everything Bill brought to us, we want to create a small visual art collection that celebrates his spirit and showcases the work of disabled artists - people who understand why the fight for rights and independence must go on.
All art work will be hung on the walls or displayed on shelving in the Centre for Independent Living in Belfast. We will launch the collection with an onsite event and plan to make it available for viewing on line.

The theme for the collection is Independent Living.

We feel sure that artists who identify as disabled, Deaf, neuro diverse will already have created work that address this theme and so we are inviting such artists to submit photographs of their work for consideration.

 The work must address the theme of independent living.
 It can be in any medium suitable for indoor display.
 All pieces should be no bigger than 1 x 1 metre - with a little leeway for
the right pieces.
 The space available is limited and so smaller works are welcome.
 We need to be able to hang the work on a wall or display it on a shelf
without needing to add complicated support.
 We would like to include some bold and bright works that are readily
accessible to visually impaired people.
 All pieces must be available for delivery by April 2023. We may be able
to arrange collection within Northern Ireland.
 We will make our selection based on what speaks to us about
independence and activism. We will also consider the overall balance of
the collection and how different pieces relate to each other when
presented together. We know we will have to make difficult decisions.
 We hope to purchase at least 12 pieces. The total number will depend
on the price of works chosen. We have previously bought works priced
between £25 and £1,500.

If you are interested in this commission, please send the following
information:
Essential information
About you
1. Your name
2. A paragraph or two about you – where and why you make your art
work, how you make it, why independent living is important to you.
Short and clear is good.
3. Email
4. Phone or text / text phone
5. Address
6. Preferred means of communication

About each piece of art work sent
1. Photograph or link to a photograph of the piece. Please clearly name it
with the title.
2. A paragraph about the piece and why it reflects the theme of
Independent Living for you. Short and clear is good. Please make clear
which piece if more than one.
3. Material / medium used
4. Nature of framing if relevant (or proposed if not yet framed)
5. The length, width and depth including frame or stand
6. Price inclusive of any framing and VAT

Bill Riddall portrait commission

We also wish to commission a small portrait of Bill (30cm to 60cm each way
with some flexibility) from an artist who identifies as disabled, Deaf or neuro
diverse.
We are open to sketches, paintings, and works in any media providing that
the artist can capture Bill’s likeness and spirit.
We know this can be difficult working from photos alone, so we will also ask
the chosen artist to talk with people who knew Bill well to get a sense of the
man and his life.
If you are interested in this commission, please send the following
information:

Essential information
About you
1. Your name
2. Email
3. Phone or text / text phone
4. Address
5. Preferred means of communication
6. A paragraph or two about you – where and why you make your art
work, how you make it, and your experience in portraiture.

About your art work
1. Photographs or link to a photographs of examples of your portraiture
2. Material / medium you may use
3. Indicative price range inclusive of any framing and VAT
7. from £_______ to £_______

How to send your information
Email
Send by email to [email protected]
Hard copy
CILNI, Springboard, Beechill Business Park, 96 Beechill Road, Belfast BT8 7QN
Deadline
Deadline for receipt is: Sunday 22 nd January 2023
We will acknowledge all submissions. We will let everyone who submitted
work know our decision by Saturday 11 th February 2023
Please do not send any artwork to us. We cannot be responsible for the
safekeeping or return any items received.
If you are submitting material for consideration both for purchase for the
collection and for the portrait commission, please make two separate
submissions.

Thank you for considering this – we are excited to see the art work out there
and know Bill would have been too.
Brenda Kent and Bryan Myles