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Can we develop better spaces for neurodivergent creativity?

AnFinn is a neurodivergent-led action research project currently recruiting neurodivergent creative practitioners to take part in an exploration of new kinds of creative and collaborative spaces. We will use, these spaces to play, create, and think, to share our work through exhibition, publication, and performance, and to promote change in arts and academia.

The research will be carried out by the whole group using creative work, reflection, consensus, and review.

It is multidisciplinary, working within the disciplines of Creative Writing and
Disability Studies as well as Linguistics, and arts and activist organisations beyond academia.

Participation is open to anyone who thinks they would enjoy it based on the lists below.

For this project, the word ‘Neurodivergent’ will refer to a wide and evolving definition that initially applied to includes autism and ADHD, but is expanding to include dyslexia, BPD, and other ways in which people feel that they have significantly different brains from those in ‘wider society’.

Potential participants
– consider themselves neurodivergent and think of this as a core part of their identity;
– consider their creative work (for example visual art, writing, movement) the most important thing they do;
– want to be part of creative communities but feel acutely excluded from these because of the neurotypical ways in which these are structured;
– are passionate about and committed to changing this.

They DO NOT need to
– have a formal diagnosis of any kind;
– make a living or have gained ‘recognition within neurotypical society for their creative work;
– meet or speak to anyone at any point during the project;
– mask or ‘act neurotypical’ or take part in any kind of neurotypically structured engagement during the project.

Participation is unpaid.

The project offers participants
– a playful, safe, experimental space for all kinds of creative making and sharing;
– involvement in developing new forms of neurodivergent-driven connectivity and exploring what that might mean, look like, or feel like;
– platforming of their creative work and ‘voice’ (linguistic or otherwise) on the project website;
– the same platforming and, publicising of their creativity at arts and academic events;
– the opportunity to contribute (in writing or creatively, and with accreditation) to publications and presentations about the project.

The project asks participants
– to visit the website and ‘play’ in whichever part of it they want to, for any length of time they choose, every other week or so: this might mean making or sharing your creative work of any kind, engaging with the work of other participants, or sharing your ideas (linguistically or otherwise) about how to make the website better for neurodivergent creatives;
– to participate in text-based ‘asynchronous’ meetings (for example, meetings taking the form of online written ‘chats’ which are open for several days) around twice a year, where we will review our ideas and plan actions for making the site better.

Apart from these, participants can choose to work and create using the site in all kinds of other ways as we develop it and share ideas.

Our findings about existing practices, new performative and collaborative modes, new theories, and new ideas for change will be shared within and beyond academic, creative, and activist communities using ‘neurodiversity - optimised’ techniques developed during the project. This study of neurodiverse ‘parallel poesis’ will open new spaces for the ongoing performative making of civil society.

More information under https://anfinn.hi.is/ or please contact kathy@hi.is if you would like to find out more about taking part.