MASH by DASH

(Mentoring and Support/ Help by DASH)

FREE Online Mentoring and Advice Sessions for Disabled Artists and Creatives

DASH are offering a limited number of sessions with DASH Executive/ Curatorial Team members Heather Peak, Rachel Fleming-Mulford and Peter Bonnell on: 26, 28 & 30 January 2026. More sessions will follow across the year.

DASH is a disabled-led visual arts organisation. Our free online mentoring, advice and feedback sessions are for Disabled, Deaf and Neurodivergent visual artists and creatives based in the West Midlands and across the UK. Access support will be provided.

Sessions are 45 minutes in duration.

They will be available one-to-one with:

Heather Peak (DASH CEO/ Artistic Director)
Heather can offer one-to-one mentoring for artists who want space to look closely at their practice; and one-to-one mentoring for curators and directors who want to reflect on and strengthen their practice. Heather is an internationally experienced artist working at scale with 25 years of experience and is Visiting Professor of Sculpture at Uni Arts, Helsinki.

Peter Bonnell (DASH Executive Director)
Peter has 30 years' experience in the visual arts sector as an artist, educator and cultural sector professional. For the last 21 years he has produced almost 200 exhibition projects as a curator & project manager, and has experience as a fundraiser/ bid writer, mentor, and senior leader. He has an interest in all visual art forms but specifically has experience in commissioning digital artworks and was for 3 years director of FORMAT International Photography Festival.

Rachel Fleming-Mulford (DASH Associate Director (Curatorial/International)
Rachel is a curator who has been working at the intersection of contemporary art, museums, higher education, and public space for more than 20 years. Her practice is rooted in intersectional feminism and social justice. She has a particular specialism in site-specific programming, residencies, and commissioning, outside of traditional gallery settings.

Rachel Fleming-Mulford availability:
26 January 2026:
- Session 1: 12:00

28 January 2026:
- Session 2: 09:00
- Session 3: 11:00

Peter Bonnell availability:
28 January 2026:
- Session 1: 10:00
- Session 2: 11:00
- Session 3: 14:00

Heather Peak availability:
30 January 2026
- Session 1: 11:00
- Session 2: 12:00
- Session 3: 13:00

To book a slot, or if you have any questions, please email alison@dasharts.org stating in the email text and header the name, date, time and which team member you would like a session with.

Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis. You will be notified of your allocated session once booked. When spaces are fully allocated we will create a waiting list and will inform those on the list when new sessions become available.

Sessions are offered in a relaxed and unhurried atmosphere with a member of the highly experienced DASH team, with access support available. We also plan in future to offer sessions in person at select venues across the West Midlands and the UK.

During the session the focus and content will be dictated by you. The DASH team member you select can offer advice and feedback on artwork ideas; written texts; CVs and statements; future plans; applications (for such things as open calls, funding, commissions), and advice in general.

Please include information in your booking regarding what you would like to focus on during the session and share any relevant website or social media links to your work, if you feel it is applicable.

Access:

• The sessions will be online via Zoom or Teams where you can share your screen.
• You can send links to your work/ website in advance. You can also submit images and texts in advance – such as audio, film or collage/ drawn/ photographic images that explain you and your work.
• Attendees can be accompanied by a support worker or friend/ colleague.
• You can have your screen off (we can offer an alternative meeting link for this via Teams Call).
• Please let us know in advance if you require BSL support.
• Closed captions will be available. We cannot guarantee that captions will be fully accurate during a live session. If you require a meeting with captions only, please let us know in advance and we will provide a support person to provide real-time captions.
• Attendees encouraged to submit Access Riders in advance, if you wish.
• If you need to take a short break during the session, please let us know.

Confirmation for your session and a Zoom link will be sent to you via email. Contact alison@dasharts.org with any questions or access requirements. Please be aware that each DASH team member has their own access needs too.

Please also check the CVAN West Midlands website for additional mentoring opportunities. CVAN WM is hosted by DASH.