Belonging in Wild Takeover (for Neurodiversity Week)

This Neurodiversity Week (17-23 March 2025) we’re coming together in celebration and delivering an event with our friends at Manchester Museum and Pinc College, as part of the current Wild exhibition.

Book your place here – tickets are free. 

Neurodiversity Celebration Week is a worldwide initiative that challenges stereotypes and recognises the many skills and talents of neurodivergent individuals, celebrating our differences and empowering every individual.

Join us on the evening of Wednesday 19 March, from 5pm – 8.30pm, when the museum will be open late as we host a pop-up exhibition, creative workshops and artist talks, all exploring how humans relate to nature, and how we care for it now and in the future.

In response to the Wild exhibition, Manchester Museum have been working with neurodivergent young people and d/Deaf young people and artists to investigate their experiences of the natural world. The project aims to increase our understanding and awareness of how nature is experienced and accessed by people with lived experience of disability and neurodivergence, and inspire action and imagination for a more inclusive wild future.

As part of this project Venture Arts artists Emelia Hewitt and Andrew Johnstone, are currently taking part in a six month residency, working on their own creative projects on site every Wednesday. As part of this they have both delivered workshops with Pinc College students, who are based in the museum. Hear from Pinc College and Venture Arts artists as they share insights into the work that’s been taking place.

We’re thrilled to be joined on the evening by accomplished wildlife photographer Alfie Bowen. Alfie has autism and a meticulous artistic vision for the images he captures, which have been featured by BBC Earth and lauded by the likes of Sir David Attenborough and Chris Packham. Hear his inspiring story as he raises awareness for wildlife and autism.

As well as artist talks see new artwork inspired by Wild on display and get involved with two exciting workshops:

Sally Hirst Poetry Workshop, 5.30 – 6.15pm.
Join Sally’s poetry workshop and explore the themes within Wild to create a Renga poem (a mixture of a Haiku, a 3 line poem, and a couplet, a two line poem), inspired by Andrew Johnstone’s artwork. Sally is a socially engaged artist working mainly in textiles and is currently Artist in Residence at The Whitworth in their Everyday Art School. In addition to her visual arts practice, Sally also creates descriptive poems inspired by art.

Draw with Leslie Thompson Workshop, 7.45 – 8.30pm.
Join Leslie for this drawing workshop inspired by the museum’s taxidermy collection. Leslie is a well known illustrator and ceramicist, whose detailed work from memory has earned him a number of high profile commissions, including a commission by the Government Art Collection to create work to commemorate King Charle’s coronation. Leslie has exhibited widely across the UK, and in Japan, and his work has been acquired for many private and public art collections. Come and see him in action and feel inspired to pick up a pen yourself!

Join us for this special evening as we celebrate and learn more about the creative talent of neurodiverse artists.

This project is part of the Mindsets + Missions programme, with funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) in partnership with Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

Tickets are free – book your place here.

Pinc College 
Pinc College offer an inspiring and impactful approach to education and pathways into employment for neurodivergent young people, aged 16-24 years. Pinc Creative College is an Independent Specialist College offering unique creative study programmes in 13 creative campuses located in galleries, museums and cultural locations in the North West, Midlands, Yorkshire and Wales.