Springboard Neurodivergent Arts Network: Launch Event

Springboard Neurodivergent Arts Network: Launch Event

Mainspring Arts are really excited to be launching Springboard Neurodivergent Arts Network, our new national network designed by and for neurodivergent creatives - and we’d love you to celebrate with us at our online launch event.

What is Springboard Neurodivergent Arts Network?

The Springboard network will be a core part of our programme at Mainspring Arts, building a supportive, neurodivergent creative community and offering a programme of activity shaped and led by its members.

The network is designed by our community, for our community. Over the last few months we’ve been working closely with a steering group of eight neurodivergent creatives, using research from the wider community to work out what the network will look like. We don’t have all the answers yet, but we’d love you to be part of the journey!

What will happen at the launch event?

The launch will be co-hosted by three of our steering group members, Ayushi Sharma (she/her), Tijani Adusei (she/her) and Michael Mendones (he/him), who will introduce the network and the activities we have planned.

We will also be sharing three exciting, newly commissioned pieces by neurodivergent artists:

E Numbers are a multidisciplinary collective, Tiiva (they/them), Jané MacKenzie (she/her), and Serafina(she/her). Their project is an audiovisual conversation:Tiiva makes the sound. Serafina makes the visuals using sensory objects of her choosing. Jané will do the live effects and add creative captions. There is no one way to experience this. It is intentionally multi-dimensional/sensory and plays with the interplay of our experiences and interactions.

REMa Grace - Entangled Artist (she/they) is a Cumbrian-Filipino radical artivist,
outdoorsy critter and explorer of cultural undergrounds. They will be sharing a three-part video journey celebrating the transformative power of neurodivergent thinking through visual poetry, outdoor wanders and sound. Followed by a short nourishing group
activity for reflection together (sharing optional).

Maddie Morris (they/them) is a bold and socially conscious folk artist who uses traditional music to explore contemporary issues. They are creating a new song that celebrates stimming as a form of neurodivergent joy and connection, in direct response to videos of stimming collected from the neurodivergent community, and thoughts about what stimming means to them.

The event will end with an optional Q&A session.

Booking and access

Places for the launch event are free, everyone is welcome and we invite you to come as you are - with camera on or off, for as long or short a time as you feel. We encourage you to bring anyone or anything with you that will help you to feel comfortable.

The event will be around 90 minutes long, with a break halfway. There will then be an optional Q&A session for about 20 minutes if you’d like to stay and find out more about the project.

The event will have:

✔ BSL interpreting
✔ Captions
✔ Easy Read info
✔ Welcome pack sent out in advance so you know what to expect

If you have any other access needs you would like to share, please email us at hello@mainspringarts.org.uk before the event.

We will send you more details about what to expect at the launch after you’ve booked. We will also send you the Zoom link nearer to the event.

If there’s anything we’ve missed that you would like to know, please get in touch at hello@mainspringarts.org.uk