What's on Blog Get to know 2024's Adam Reynolds Awardee: Chris Laing The Adam Reynolds Award and bursary is designed to support the practice of a mid-career disabled artist. Chris Laing, founder of Signstrokes and Deaf Architecture Front (DAF) will work with Shape Arts on a major campaign film. Find out more about the ARA Explore past recipients The 2024 Adam Reynolds Award - Shape Arts’ flagship award for mid-career disabled artists which includes a £10k artist bursary and creative development opportunity - has been made to architectural designer, activist, and founder, Chris Laing. We are grateful to The Foyle Foundation for their support of the award this year. Laing joins ARA alumni including James Lake, Jay Price, Johanna Hedva, and Jason Wilsher-Mills in receiving the prestigious award, set up in 2008 in memory of the life and work of sculptor Adam Reynolds. Production is underway on a major new film campaign from Laing, supported by Shape, shining a light on the barriers faced by deaf people in public space and urban infrastructure. The project, Silent Buttons (working title), focuses on Hanna, an independent Londoner whose day-to-day life is disrupted by the barriers she experiences when using public transport, in the working environment, and even in her home life on account of being a deaf person. The film’s ambition is to highlight the inequities of city life and how a lack of consideration in architecture, infrastructure, and design create and reinforce exclusion in society. Jeff Rowlings, Head of Programme, Shape Arts, said: “Chis Laing’s passion for, and dedication to, opening up the world of architecture and spatial design to deaf people exactly mirrors our own mission to ensure that disabled people have the chance to not only enjoy and take part in cultural activity, but to make their own mark on it, and bring to the fore the ideas and voices that enrich society and make our world a better place to live in. Having the opportunity to make our 2024 Adam Reynolds Award to Chris is doubly significant, firstly in terms of raising Chris’ profile and the aims of the Deaf Architecture Front that he spearheads; and secondly, for the chance to collaborate in the making of a film expounding Chris’ vision of a society in which deaf people are free of the barriers which constrain their lives and creative potential. We are thrilled to be working with Chris this year and look forward to supporting him in making this exciting new work.” Chris Laing, Adam Reynolds Award 2024, said: “I feel very excited and honoured to be recognised for this award. The opportunity to broaden public awareness of the everyday barriers deaf people face is both valuable and very important. Working with Shape Arts on this project is a wonderful opportunity to make a positive and lasting impact. The award enables Deaf Architecture Front which I founded to create and share a film that brings the deaf community into focus and builds a bridge between architecture and society. I hope this project raises awareness of the barriers deaf people face and engages new audiences in a conversation about how we can think, plan, and build a better future for our communities, considering the needs of everyone. For me, personally, this will be my first time directing a film and creating scripts and storyboards; it’s an experience I am very much looking forward to.” About the artist Chris Laing is an Architectural Designer, Activist, and Consultant, and the founder of Signstrokes and Deaf Architecture Front. He is keen to facilitate engagement between the Deaf community and the spatial and architecture practice industry, hoping to see greater opportunities for the field of architecture to benefit from Deaf peoples’ perspective in the near future. Full artist profile Manage Cookie Preferences