Lord Provost lends support to Future4All World Congress theme

Glasgow’s First Citizen sat for a portrait by Project Ability artists at the St Enoch Centre on Saturday 3 August.

Lord Provost Eva Bolander was promoting community engagement on the topic Future4All. It’s the theme of the forthcoming World Congress of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IASSIDD).

The four day conference begins at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) on Tuesday 6 August.

Project Ability learning disabled artists spent the day at the St Enoch shopping centre on Saturday, which welcomed over 40,000 visitors on the day. Showcasing their artistic talents and offering free portraits to members of the public.

Elisabeth Gibson, Executive Artistic Director, Project Ability, said: “Project Ability is excited to contribute to the IASSIDD World Congress in Glasgow. We really enjoyed organising the exhibition element of the event and felt it fitted perfectly with the Future4all theme. We work to inspire creativity and confidence in artists with learning disabilities so being part of this meant a lot to us, and our artists.”

The IASSIDD World Congress is a leading research and practice meeting concerned with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It’s anticipated to attract 1,500 delegates from across the globe.

Linda Mitchell, Partnership and Development Manager, Scottish Commission for Learning Disability and member of the IASSIDD Local Organising Committee, added: “The IASSID public engagement event with Project Ability was a fantastic way to promote our positive Future4all message from the Glasgow World Congress, helping to improve the lives of people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, their families and those who support them.”

The portrait event also formed part of Glasgow Convention Bureau’s People Make Glasgow Healthier initiative, launched earlier this year. It supports medical associations holding conferences in the city by taking their key conference messages into communities.

Aileen Crawford, Head of Conventions, Glasgow Convention Bureau, said:“People Make Glasgow Healthier is a platform for medical associations to really engage with the people of Glasgow through a varied range of activities. It’s about bringing positive and informed health messages to our citizens and encouraging real-world interactions that extend beyond conference seminars to deliver a genuine and lasting legacy from hosting these meetings.”

There will be a further opportunity for engagement when the congress holds a public debate on Wednesday 7^th August at the SEC on the topic: ‘What do you need to live a full life in your community?’ Facilitated by Ulster University’s Professor Roy McConkey it will feature panel discussions and contributions from the floor. It’s free to attend.

Kathleen Warden, Director of Conference Sales at the Scottish Event Campus commented: ‘Conferences are a catalyst for social and economic progress – they bring together the world’s community in any given field.  It is wonderful to see the reach of the conference extend beyond the venue and into the community, making an impact.  The SEC was thrilled to have Linda Mitchell come to the venue and present to over 80 members of the SEC team, building awareness of learning disabilities to ensure we provide the best possible welcome for the conference participants when they are in Glasgow.’