This exhibition is the result of a University of Exeter Engaged Public Research funded collaboration between the Esteem Team, Devon Council Council’s SEND participation team, Well Image CIC and researchers at University of Exeter working together to creatively respond to concerns raised by marginalised neurodivergent young people in the South-West about lack of access to platforms to have their voices heard about topics that matter to them.

Supported by local creative arts professionals, neurodivergent young people worked with the project team to devise the prompt: “What being neurodivergent means to me” and to create an adaptable art session that enables a greater diversity of neurodivergent young people to take part, particularly those who are not in school for a variety of reasons, those who prefer not to communicate verbally and those who find it difficult to leave their homes.

The artworks created through these sessions has now been developed into an art exhibition which illustrates facets of young neurodivergent identities. The exhibition challenges negative beliefs about neurodiversity, and tackle stigmatising stereotypes of some young people in our local community.

See an online version of the exhibition here.

Each member of the project team is neurodivergent and/or has neurodivergent family members and the project models community-led research into topics that are priorities for the community. Staging the exhibition not only addresses concerns raised by neurodivergent young people in isolated rural communities that their voices are not being heard by policy-makers, but also models ways of working with local community interest groups to design projects that can create knowledge more equitably.

The physical exhibition of these artworks will be launched at Positive Light Projects at an event for senior leadership in the local community. The young people who took part in the event will be invited to say a little about their experience of taking part, and members of University of Exeter’s Student Guild and Neurodivergent and Disabled Student Society will contribute their own voices and experiences. The exhibition will take place between 21st - 23rd June 2024.

'Our Neurodivergent Experience' has been supported by Devon County Council, Esteem Team, Positive Light Projects, Public Engagement With Research (University of Exeter), Arts & Culture, University of Exeter, and Well Image CIC.