Art Without Barriers – Living With a Disability

This month is Down’s Syndrome Awareness Month and we are looking at the work of artist Florence Halliwell, a remarkable land artist whose work is breaking boundaries not only in the world of art but also in how we view ability, creativity, and inclusion.

Born with Down’s Syndrome, Florence has channelled her unique perspective into a beautiful and organic form of artistic expression. Her land art celebrates the beauty of nature, combining natural elements like rocks, leaves, soil, sand and water to create temporary works that are admired by many.

A circular piece of land art on a sandy beach made from stones and pebbles by land artist with downs syndrome Florence Halliwell who is crouched down placing a white stone and wear a red jumper.

Florence Halliwell and Land Art

Rebecca Ford is an artist and Florence’s mum and told us “I would say the biggest impact on Florence in her life is people’s fear of disability because of a lack of understanding and educations”

Florence has just got engaged to her long-term boyfriend of 7 years and is planning her wedding for 2025. She is currently studying on a performing arts course at Chichester College with an outstanding theatre company called Theatre Inc and, as a land artist, she has attended the World Rock Stacking Championships and a regular artist at Land, Sand, Stone art festival in East Yorkshire.

Land artist Florence Halliwell stands on a beach with arms spread, she is wearing a green hooded coat and a red hood underneath, in the background there are upright posts heading towards the sea

Nature and Neurodiversity

What makes Halliwell’s work stand out is her innate connection to the landscapes she works with. She has a keen ability to see patterns and textures in nature that others might overlook, bringing them to life in ways that evoke a sense of harmony and wonder.

Rebecca says “My personal take is the good intentions can be the most limiting issue and high expectations about what is possible for people living with additional needs is the way forward.”

For Florence, Down’s Syndrome is not a limitation but a source of profound creativity. She is an artist who defies stereotypes and expectations and taps into her surroundings, using them to explore forms and structures that engage the viewer in a dialogue about both nature and neurodiversity.

Don’t Screen Us Out

She has created a large scale sand drawing with her dad Mark Antony Haden Ford for Don’t Screen Us Out, a group of over 17,000 people with Down’s syndrome, their families and supporters who are actively working to build a United Kingdom where people with Down’s syndrome are equally valued and have an equal chance of being born.

Creativity and Inclusivity

Florence has grown up surrounded by creativity, her parents are Contemporary Environmental artists whose influence is clear in Florence’s beautiful installations. Florence is shifting perceptions, demonstrating that talent and vision know no bounds. She invites the world to rethink what is possible, showing that the intersection of ability, nature, and creativity can produce something truly extraordinary.

Her works serve as a powerful reminder that inclusivity in the arts enriches us all, opening up new ways of seeing the world and each other.

You can find Florence on Instagram at www.instagram.com/artistwithdownssyndrome

Mark Antony Haden Ford and Rebecca Ford are Contemporary Sussex based Environmental artists and you can find them at www.twocirclesdesign.co.uk

Theatre Inc can be found at www.facebook.com/TheatreIncChichester

Don’t Screen Us Out – https://dontscreenusout.org