The Idea for the Project The Turning Mobility project was conceived and is directed by Tim Turner, a freelance artist living and working in Devonport.

Tim is 39 years old and came to New Zealand with his British-born parents in 1973. In 1982, at the age of 18, he suffered the loss of his left leg, above the knee, in a motorcycle accident. He had almost completed a printing apprenticeship but climbing up and down printing presses became difficult and Tim went through a number of different jobs over the next few years.

For some time the accident took its toll more mentally than physically, and it took Tim a long time to "come out of his shell" and realise he could live perfectly happily with his disability, albeit with some limitations. These haven't kept him from skiing, cycling, driving jet boats, abseiling and taking part in many other adventurous activities.

Recently Tim travelled to Bali and had some quite spiritual healing experiences that caused him to return to NZ with a new outlook on life. He started to carve stone, make creative clothing, explore artistic photography, and suddenly realised he had artistic talents he had not previously used.

More recently Tim has learned to dance and has appeared with the Touch Compass Dance Company, together with his three-legged dog Boiski, in their very successful dance show "Acquisitions" at Auckland's Maidment Theatre.

Throughout this period of emerging creativity Tim kept thinking of a meeting he had had with a young amputee boy in Bali. He started to ponder what he could do for the many disabled young people in Bali who could neither access nor afford the kind of prosthesis (and ongoing maintenance) that Tim was entitled to in New Zealand.

After thinking about things for a while he decided to hold an exhibition by New Zealand and Balinese artists, in order to raise funds to buy crutches for the needy kids in Bali who don't have access to the kind of medical system we take for granted.

Apart from helping the disabled children of Bali, Tim thought that the exhibition would provide an opportunity to highlight the work of some of New Zealand's artists with 'other abilities'. His idea is that some of the exhibits will be interactive, enabling the viewing public to "take on"a disability, e.g. simulating blindness in order to feel and understand how a blind artist "views" and feels for his/her work.

If the Turning Mobility project is successful, Tim hopes to provide for a programme of personal training and fitness for those due to receive the crutches, so that the maximum benefits can be achieved. He is also hoping that a film unit will document the whole project to further boost its success.

You can contact Tim at oneoffproductions@yahoo.co.nz

or c/o The Depot Artspace, 28 Clarence Street, Devonport, Auckland,

or by phone 021 174-3457 and 00649 445 3775