Ignite Social: Neurodiversity and Creativity

How does neurodiversity relate to the creative and expressive process? How do artists consider neurodiverse audiences when they create? How can creativity and the creative industries become more accessible?

This month we will be exploring neurodiversity and creativity, and hearing from Essex based creatives, who will talk to us about their interpretation of the theme and their creative journeys, challenges, inspirations and advice.

Speakers:

Connor Turansky

Connor builds interactive experiences, designs mechanical contraptions and creates worlds to be explored – explaining that the process of making things helps to understand yourself and the world around you.

Connor works with artists and organisations to help embed technology into their projects, and with University art students to bring their tech ideas to life. With a Master’s from the University of Westminster in Photographic Arts, Connor combines photographic methodology with various mediums: mixed reality, paper engineering, electronics and projection mapping.

Lu Williams

Lu is an artist producing sculpture, print, zines, drawing, writing, video, events and workshops through research, community engagement, collecting and collaboration.

They make work around the themes of place and memory; community and collaboration; collecting; class and upbringing; accessibility; and platforming and uplifting marginalised voices – through the lens of queerness, neurodivergence and working classness.

In 2015 they created Grrrl Zine Fair, a place for self-publishing and DIY art, music and culture surrounding feminist publishing. In 2017 the Grrrl Zine Library was born and hosted 600+ queer feminist zines, housed at The Old Waterworks.

What to expect

Patch, 5 – 6 Grays Yard, Springfield Rd, Chelmsford, CM2 6QR

7-10pm, Thursday 9th November

• From 7pm – People begin arriving, relaxed music is played.
• 7-7.30pm – Getting drinks and catching up with fellow creatives in the bar space. There are activities such as pens/paper for doodling, and free space and seats in the foyer if you’d prefer.
• 7.30-9pm – People move through to the presentation space, to sit down and hear from the speakers – speakers sit/stand at the front and often use power point presentations. There is a Q&A at the end, giving an opportunity to ask questions of the speakers.
• 9-10pm – Some people choose to leave at 9, others choose to stay to informally catch up further. The bar is open until 10pm.

The bar serves water, tea, coffee, cola / diet cola, beer and red and white wine, we accept card, but don’t normally accept cash.

Image: Memories with Connor, Connor Turansky

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Photography may be taken at the social to use for Ignite media – please email ku.gro.drofsmlehcetingi@olleh to let us know if you do not want your image used.

We are working to make our social events as inclusive, accessible and welcoming as possible. We would love to hear from you any ideas, questions or concerns about attending events and taking part in Ignite. Please contact us on ku.gro.drofsmlehcetingi@olleh.

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Ignite – be part of a thriving creative community in Chelmsford

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If you work or volunteer in the creative sector – or aspire to – please consider:

• Adding yourself to the Ignite member directory – where you can showcase what you are doing locally and see what others are doing.
• Dropping into the next Ignite online collaborative hub meeting, the fourth Thursday of every month, 12-1.30pm – to share what you are currently working on or thinking about, and to find chances to collaborate and share knowledge.