Neuroinclusivity in the Visual Arts Sector

This project addresses an urgent and widespread socio-cultural problem: the often overlooked needs of neurodivergent (such as autistic, ADHD, and/or dyslexic) people among audiences and cultural practitioners in contemporary visual arts and culture venues. Co-led by Willem de Kooning Academy (WdKA, Hogeschool Rotterdam), MaMA (a Rotterdam-based cultural organization rooted in youth and popular visual culture) and the Neurodiversity Foundation, this project asks: How can the contemporary visual arts sector improve inclusion and participation by working with neurodivergent sensory and cognitive needs and centering the agency of neurodivergent individuals?
Based in Rotterdam’s lively Cool district, this project will engage an intergenerational community group of neurodivergent citizens as co-researchers in practice-oriented research. Drawing on shared insights, the project will consist of a series of practice-led initiatives—including visual mapping and storytelling workshops—that explore sensory-sensitive ways to transform cultural practices and venues into accessible, welcoming, and healthy environments for neurodivergent people. The project addresses barriers such as sensory overload, inaccessible work environments, and exclusionary social norms.
The project will run a neuroinclusive program consisting of monthly community sessions and five co-creative workshops, followed by a period of reflection and publishing. Tangible outcomes include: (1) a brochure or online resource containing general recommendations for neuroinclusion in visual arts venues and practices, as well as specific prototypes and guidelines that institutions can adopt locally; (2) a published report for social sector stakeholders and policymakers; and (3) recommendations for neuroinclusive practices in art and design education.
By centering lived experience and co-creation—“working with, not about, people”—the project aims to integrate neurodivergence into everyday cultural life, enhancing wellbeing, creative participation, and social cohesion.