Shadowlight Artists: We're Going to Need a Bigger Brush

The Shadowlight Artists are a group of learning disabled artists based in Oxfordshire, working in a variety of media but with a shared interest in digital forms. Their work is personal, moving, and at times challenging. The group formed in 2009 as a result of Film Oxford’s Flash Frame project. That project aimed to identify learning disabled individuals who showed artistic potential and ambition to take their work to a broader audience. Since then, the group have gone on to produce work that has reached audiences within the UK and beyond, spanning media from painting and sculptural installation to film and theatrical production.

Otto Baxter is a filmmaker, performer, and actor known for his bold storytelling and extensive stage and screen experience. He wrote and directed the autobiographical comedy horror The Puppet Asylum for Sky TV and was the subject of the BAFTA-winning documentary Otto Baxter: Not a F**ing Horror Story, cementing his reputation as a fearless creative voice.

Rafi Baxter is an emerging Oxfordshire artist whose practice spans painting, 3D work, and performance, with a strong focus on ballet and drag. A member of the Shadowlight Artists, he has acted in The Puppet Asylum, worked as a model, and performed ballet at the Royal Opera House.

Wendy Belcher is an Oxford-based autistic artist and filmmaker whose work blends animation, documentary, and digital collage to explore identity, humour, and personal experience. A member of the Shadowlight Artists, she has had her films screened internationally, earning awards and nominations, including Best Woman Filmmaker at Oska Bright.

GZ is passionate about performing arts, from playing authentic flutes and singing with choirs to acting in musical theatre and pantomime. Through Film Oxford’s Shadowlight workshops, he is developing new skills in art and filmmaking, expanding his creative expression.

Mark Hemsworth is a multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker whose work transforms thousands of photographs into striking digital collages exploring light, time, and nature. A founding member of the Shadowlight Artists, he has exhibited internationally and has collaborated on acclaimed projects such as Captured Moments and LUMINOUS.

Shakeel Marham is an Oxford-based artist and performer whose work combines movement and digital imaging to explore identity and self-expression. A member of the Shadowlight Artists since 2017, his creative practice spans film, performance, and poetry, with a strong focus on accessibility and inclusion.

Lucy Skuce is an Oxfordshire-based artist and filmmaker whose work spans film, installation, and sculpture, exploring memory, technology, and place. A founding member of the Shadowlight Artists, her award-winning films and large-scale works have been exhibited at Modern Art Oxford and screened in the UK and internationally, including at BFI Southbank and Oska Bright.

Danny Smith is an Oxford-based multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker whose work spans dance, film, photography, and collage, exploring themes of independence and transformation. A long-standing member of the Shadowlight Artists, his award-winning films have gained international recognition, including Time to Leave, which won Best Dance Film at Oska Bright.

Jack Wellings is an Oxford-based multidisciplinary artist and performer whose work spans comedy, acting, and abstract visual art. A member of the Shadowlight Artists, he is known for his character-driven humour and intricate line-based drawings created with pens on paper.