An exhibition showcasing artwork produced by visually impaired people during the last lockdown is now facing being closed down again.

Out of Sight not Out of Mind, displayed at the Rochester Art Gallery, is a collection of various kinds of artwork, including paintings, tapestry, sculptures and crochets, done by 46 artists with different degrees of visual impairment.

The new initiative was brought together by the Mess Room, an art workshop established in 2017 in Medway, and Kent Association for the Blind (KAB).

After their initial exhibition for the 100th anniversary of KAB was cancelled because of the lockdown, Wendy Daws, one of the founders of the Mess Room and a volunteer for the KAB for 16 years, was keen to encourage people to create art at home.

“We spoke to people by phone and by email, everyone was missing the group and feeling isolated, sort of forgotten about.”

It’s been hard for everybody, particularly hard for some people, so I just thought how can we connect, how can we try to make the art group still happen in people’s homes,” Ms Daws said.

In order to make the plan work, the 52-year-old delivered most of the 46 art packs containing art materials tailored to all artists, whom are aged between 23 and 97.

After going to Brighton University at the age of 33, her entire art practice has been revolving around making art accessible for visually impaired people.

“[I’m] just really keen to see if you are sight impaired, how do you experience museum, gallery, and how is it for you in life? So that was the seed of it.

 “Art, or being able to access art is as vital as breathing. The thought that you couldn’t engage in art in some level, it doesn’t bare thinking about,” said the longtime volunteer.

Christopher Sacre, who is hearing impaired, co-founded The Mess Room with Ms Daws. He said during lockdown not everyone had the equipment to make art so it was a way to make that accessible especially for the elder ones who were at higher risk.

“Because we are all different so it is all about communication and information. So it is about keeping in touch to make sure everyone is ok,” said Mr Sacre.

One of the artists, Kelly Harris, 42, a crochet lover, said: ”It was inspired just by my thoughts and feelings of being locked away at home and not being able to go out. All the words are how I felt during the whole process.

“I felt trapped a lot of the time. As amazing as my dog is, he can’t follow signs (one way system) so I felt trapped at home. I also felt the world was moving but I was being left behind and that was quite frustrating and I feel very isolated again, which is not nice at all really.”

Nim Thorpe, 30, the creator behind three paintings in the exhibition, said doing art during lockdown gave her a positive focus.

“When I had frustrations and found things difficult it gave me a way to channel those difficult feelings into something positive.

“I love art and how people’s experiences can be shown through so many different ways and also how people can interpret it. It’s a very personal thing” said Thorpe.

Geoff Christie, 57, said he had been doing art work for two years, “it does help it just takes you mind off things going on. I just love doing it, just enjoy it.”

Allison Young, 52, a manager at the gallery who put the show together, said: “Everyone is an artist as far as we are concerned, so we are delighted to show work by visually impaired people.

“The project Wendy has done is absolutely amazing so valuable it has made such a difference. And the response has been great so it has been a privilege to show this.

“I think it (the exhibition) is really joyful so colourful. It is really engaging, people really warm to it, it really captures a particular moment in time as well.”

The exhibition will now be transformed into a film that will be available online.