Funding success for new video artwork Mirrored to the core (Schizophrenic love)

I have undertaken extensive research + development, mentoring and started developing a new work. I have now received Arts Council England funding to make a video artwork ‘Mirrored to the core (Schizophrenic love)’. The project is a collaboration between me (lead artist James Paddock) and London based creatives: composer Jerome Van Den Berghe and opera director Rosalind Parker. ‘Mirrored to the core (Schizophrenic love)’ is about two schizophrenic people who meet and fall in love. Communicating through ‘heard voices’ of the subconscious mind, their telepathy is represented by operatic singing, graphics and a contemporary musical soundscape. Romantically and poetically translating scientific research into video art. The artwork will be informed by workshops including neurodiverse participants, opera singers and schizophrenic actors. The collaborative, cross-disciplinary project, will culminate in an online panel discussion and screenings of the completed artwork. The video artwork is intended to be the first stage of a larger project, a later stage will result in a physical art exhibition when it is safe to do so. Phil Gibby, Area Director, Arts Council England, South West, has said about my award: "We are extremely pleased to support James Paddock for Mirrored to the Core (Schizophrenic Love) through our National Lottery Project Grants funding programme. The project will use video art to bring to life new perspectives on neurodiversity and mental health, whilst also giving James the opportunity to develop his creative practice with mentoring from established artists. We believe that the diversity of our country should be fully reflected in the culture it produces, which is why we're supporting a project that helps to open up conversations around mental health conditions, thanks to funding from the National Lottery."