THE Lord Mayor of York, Councillor Julie Gunnell, has met artists from disadvantaged and marginalised groups and York schools, all inspired by the Dream Catcher exhibition at According To McGee.

“An all-female exhibition at a York gallery like According To McGee helps bring a fantastic creative angle to the start of International Women’s Week in the city,” says Coun Gunnell. “It’s brilliant to see our young people respond so creatively to the artwork exhibited there and achieve much deserved qualifications.”

Ails McGee, the Tower Street gallery’s co-director, has been holding a series of spin-off art sessions to tie in with the exhibition in the lead-up to York International Women’s Week, including integrated sessions for women from disadvantaged groups and female pupils from Bootham School, The Minster School, Our Lady Queen of Martyrs and The Mount School.

“The paintings from Dream Catcher are all from women artists, and I thought, ‘Why not use them to inspire young women who might not otherwise have access or the inclination to visit art galleries?’” says Ails.

“Why not collect the responses, exhibit them simultaneously with the professional work, and coincide it with the opening of York International Women’s Week? When all the planets line up like that, you just know you’re on to something.”

The project was organised by the gallery’s charity, New Visuality, in tandem with Blueberry Academy, which provides specialist support for adults with learning difficulties in York.

“It’s been one of the most fulfilling things we’ve done,” says Ails. “The results were superb, especially when you consider some of the participants had never picked up a pencil or paintbrush in their lives, due to profound physical disabilities.

“Holly Durkin, for example, was so good that has harnessed a nationally recognised Bronze Arts Award, which is a percentage of a GCSE. We’ve had a series of exhibitions during Dream Catcher; the Lord Mayor of York has been a great support with advice and attending the award ceremony at the Melbourne Centre.

“This week we bring it all together in our gallery with a fusion of art from marginalised young women and the artwork that inspired it.”

Ails will be looking to repeat the all-female format with another show next year. “The focus is to bottle a very specific type of energy that comes from working with all women, a restless, witty vibe,” she says.

“I’ve had a great team of female interns from the University of York working with me; both Molly Baro and Catrin Podgorski have done the university proud. Work from artists such as Janine Baldwin and Rachael Burnett has inspired the very best from our participants. We’re very excited to coincide our good work with York International Women’s Week.”

• Dream Catcher runs until March 10, open 11am to 5pm, today, tomorrow and Saturday, 1pm to 4pm on Sunday and 11am to 5pm on Monday. York International Women’s Week runs from Saturday until March 15.