World Aids Day 2024

December 2024

On 1st December 2024, the community came together for a vibrant day of artistic exploration and archive sharing, alongside meaningful conversations.

Hope by Roger Newbrook

Helix Arts teamed up with the National AIDS Trust, North Tyneside Council, and Artist in Residence Aaron Markwell to host a free, special World AIDS Day event. Together, they raised awareness around HIV and worked to challenge stigma through creativity, conversation, and community engagement.

Window Display

Helix Arts unveiled a window display honouring the 2,348 people living with HIV in the North East. This tribute was co-created with the local community through a series of creative conversations about HIV and the ongoing stigma surrounding health.

The display featured original artwork by Michael Jeffries, who previously took part in Helix Arts’ landmark 1992 project Living Proof, which explored public attitudes towards HIV at the time.

As part of the initiative, Michael teamed up with Artist in Residence Aaron Markwell to lead a collage workshop with North Tyneside residents. Together, they crafted collages reflecting contemporary perspectives on HIV — using creativity to spark dialogue, honour experience, and challenge stigma.

HIV Home Testing Kits

North Tyneside Council’s sexual health services were at the event to speak with attendees and offer support to those seeking more information about HIV. They also distributed 100 HIV home testing kits, giving people the opportunity to test themselves.

Community Conversations: Reflecting on HIV Awareness in 2024

During the we hosted three Community Conversations to raise awareness about HIV:

Building The Window – Attendees explored the window display and reflected on the symbolism and meaning behind the artwork presented.
HIV Landscapes – The conversation provided insights into the facts surrounding HIV in 2024 and explored the origins of this collaborative initiative.
Revolutionising Spaces – Artist Aaron Markwell and Health Psychologist Kate Reilly led an impactful discussion on how public spaces could be reimagined to reduce the effects of health-related stigma.

The Last Blind Date Show, at Grey's Monumnet, May 1992. Play by Michael Macmillan. Photography by Keith Pattison.

The Last Blind Date Show, at Grey’s Monumenet, May 1992. Play by Michael Macmillan. Photography by Keith Pattison.

Revisiting Living Proof: A Reflective Exhibition

The Moffett Room hosted a poignant exhibition showcasing artwork developed as part of Helix Arts’ landmark 1992 project, Living Proof. This pivotal initiative examined the cultural and social dimensions of HIV during a time of widespread stigma, and its legacy remains deeply resonant today.

The exhibition featured compelling works by the original 1992 Artists-in-Residence, Nicholas Lowe and Michael Macmillan. Their creative leadership shaped workshops that inspired powerful contributions from participants including Michael Jeffries, Roger Newbrook, Chris Walker, Keith Livingstone, Lynne Otter, Christine Le Cont, and Neil Mitchell. The display also included evocative imagery captured by documentary photographer Keith Pattison.

Contemporary reflections were added by current Artist-in-Residence, Aaron Markwell, whose commentary bridged past and present perspectives. Helix Arts archivist Charlotte Barron offered insights into the project’s rich historical context and engaged visitors with creative activities drawn from the archive’s treasures.

Life Structure: Replication

Throughout the day, the Dobson Room hosted a live rehearsal of Aaron Markwell’s archival dance work, Life Structure: Replication — a performance inspired by the replication cycle of DNA and the integration of the HIV virus within this process.

The piece was performed by Megan Brown, Lily Dooks, Jennie Fraser, and Alyssa Lisle, with rehearsal direction led by Megan Brown.

Creating the Disabled-Artist-in-Residence at Helix Arts

During our 40th anniversary we had conversations with artists with lived experience of Disability across the North East. Disabled artist Lady Kitt supported and informed this work.

This led to a new commission as part of our Re:Visits programme which celebrated and commemorated our 40th anniversary.

We sought an artist with lived experience of Disability to work with us. Previously some of our work has been with Disabled artists and most of our work has been with participants facing multiple and complex health inequalities.

This residency welcomed a North East artist who identifies as Disabled to join us for a participatory arts residency. We asked the artists applying to consider how they would work with local communities and how their work would be informed by our archive.

About the artist Aaron Markwell - Disabled Artist In Residence 2024

Aaron is a multi-disciplinary, HIV+ queer artist who works mainly through dance and interior design. Their diverse practice has led Aaron to working in the public, education and commercial sectors, collaborating with well known international brands, artists and diverse local communities.

We asked Aaron to share initial thoughts on what they were most excited about during the residency, and they told us:

“I was most excited to explore the archive with communities across the North East; recontextualising some of Helix Arts’ amazing work around HIV into 2024/25.”