Inclusively Yours was a collaborative visual art project that attempted to engage special needs adults and the merchandising staff of Ion Orchard in a journey of exploration and learning. Participants from Y-STARS (Y Special Teens, Arts & Recreation Society) were taken through an educational journey at the shopping centre, with a focus on themes such as fashion, food and art. Sales persons from the Topshop/Topman for example, then had the opportunity to interact and communicate with the group, providing an inclusive dimension of presenting a sales/marketing pitch. A journey to the supermarket and Ion Art provided the Ystars with a chance to state their choice of favourite foods and their favourite designs. The final destination – lunch at Fish and Co – was a moment when the Ystars sat together to chat about their experiences and thoughts with each other.
The journey at the ION was not publicized as the artist did not want unnecessary attention to affect the whole experience. A professional photographer was hired to photograph the Ystars in their styled Topshop/Topman outfits, as well as to document the entire journey. Writing is quite a challenge to the Ystars, and hence, simple worksheets were designed for the Ystars to record the name of the shops, stylists and items they liked as a written record of their journey. The subsequent writings and photos that emerged from the journey were displayed on 7 boards at B3 of the Ion during the duration of the Fringe Fest. They were designed to display the ability and choices of the Ystars as they played an active part within the environment of the Ion. Photos of each of them were also designed into advertising billboards for the display, creating alternative, inclusive forms of advertising based on personal opinions and appreciation.