National Coal Mining Museum for England announce artists selected for Jason Wilsher Mills, MBE micro commission
The National Coal Mining Museum for England is delighted to announce the three disabled artists selected for its 2026 micro commissions and mentoring programme.
Running until August 2026, the programme offers artists the opportunity to create newly commissioned work supported by artist mentor Jason Wilsher-Mills MBE, whose major new large-scale artwork and exhibition for the Museum will open in March 2026 and tour nationally. The commissioned pieces will complement Jason’s work and may also be presented digitally alongside it.
Open to disabled artists based in, or connected to, former coalfield communities across the UK, the micro commissions invited artists to explore what culture and coal mining means to local people in their communities. Each artist will develop new creative work inspired by local engagement, to be exhibited at the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield and at partner or community venues.
The selected artists are Corinne Perry, Calum Perrin and Guy Morris. Corinne Perry creates autobiographical work from her bed, drawing on personal narratives including her grandfather’s stories of Coblynau or Mine Spirits. Her contemporary, atmospheric practice offers rich opportunities for community and learning engagement. Calum Perrin, originally from the North East and now based in London, works with time-based media and sound, drawing on the mining heritage that shaped his early life. Guy Morris, a full-time wheelchair user since a road accident in 2011, produces bright, humorous and boldly characterful work that aligns strongly with Jason’s own vibrant aesthetic.
Throughout the six-month programme, each artist will work closely with communities, collaborate with peers and receive tailored mentoring from Jason Wilsher-Mills, MBE. The process will support artists to reflect on their development and inform future creative practice. The standard of applications was exceptionally high, making the final selection incredibly challenging.
Jason Wilsher-Mills MBE, born in Wakefield in 1969 to a working-class family with mining roots, became a wheelchair user after contracting chicken pox that affected his central nervous system. This experience strongly shapes his vibrant, humorous work, which explores disability, class, family and popular culture through digital painting, large sculptures and immersive technologies. His brightly coloured, comic inspired style has gained international recognition, including the 2020 Adam Reynolds Award, exhibitions at the 2024 Venice Biennale and Wellcome Collection, and inclusion in the Government Art Collection and Ferens Gallery, Hull.
The Museum looks forward to working with the three appointed artists and to sharing their work with audiences across the country as part of this incredibly important project.
Lynn Dunning, CEO, National Coal Mining Museum said: “We are absolutely delighted to be working with such talented artists as Corinne, Callum and Guy. Their contributions will be a fantastic addition to the exhibition, and we know they will gain so much from collaborating with Jason through the micro commissions. This project offers an important and accessible way of sharing the history of coal mining with new audiences. Their artwork will sit proudly alongside Jason’s stunning tapestry and sculptures, reaching people of all ages and backgrounds. We’re confident this will be a significant moment in their careers and one that will help propel them toward future successes.”
Image credit: Benjamin Gilbert.