Inclusive Arts Collective
Community Interest Company 15714211
Inclusive Arts Collective create neurodivergent-led arts programs that empower children through movement, visual arts, and performance—honouring different ways of experiencing the world.
Our workshops, co-designed with neurodivergent artists and educators, centre on stimming, sensory exploration, and self-expression. Through creative collaboration, we foster confidence, connection, and a more inclusive society.
Our Projects
At Inclusive Arts Collective, we are committed to creating inclusive, creative spaces that celebrate neurodivergent voices. Our past project In My World, In Your Eyes explored the experiences of autistic children through film and was selected by Into Film+ for educational distribution in UK schools.
We are currently running The Arts Lab, a series of sensory-based workshops designed to support self-expression and confidence in neurodivergent children aged 10–14.
Looking ahead, we are developing a more ambitious, long-term programme to expand our reach and impact, supporting neurodivergent young people through sustained creative engagement and community involvement.
The Arts Lab
2025
Funded by Arts Council England
The Arts Lab is a creative space where neurodivergent children can connect, express themselves, and feel a sense of belonging. Run by Inclusive Arts Collective, the project offers a supportive environment free from judgment—where children are understood and celebrated.
Led by neurodivergent artists and facilitators, the workshops use art, movement, and sensory play to build confidence, self-expression, and connection. Parents also find space for shared understanding and support.
Designed for ages 10–14, the programme includes six rotating art clubs across three rooms at Good Shepherd Studios, culminating in a community gallery exhibition.
How the Sessions Work
Each session is tailored to the children’s interests, with participants divided into smaller groups based on their preferences—whether that’s movement, making, or media. The structure of each session includes:
Creative Exploration: A mix of sensory and artistic activities to warm up and inspire.
Club Session (60 min): Children join one of six themed clubs for deeper creative focus.
Clubs include:
Drawing & Painting • Stop Motion • Journaling & Wellness • Movement & Drama • Music • Podcast & Video Creation
With guidance from experienced artist mentors, children receive personalised support to explore their creativity and build confidence in ways that suit them best.
Some Videos
From Stimming To Dance
2024
Funded by Community Fund
WORKSHOPS AGE 6 - 9:
From Stimming to Dance was a series of workshops for neurodivergent children aged 10–14, exploring stimming as a creative and expressive practice. Led by neurodivergent artists, the project created space for movement, music, and sensory play, where children could build confidence, connect with others, and celebrate their unique ways of being.
The Workshops
Each session blended structured and free movement with activities like dance, art, music, and sensory exploration. Designed around individual sensory needs, the workshops encouraged children to participate in their own way—supporting emotional regulation, creative expression, and body awareness in a non-judgmental environment.
Our Aim
The project redefines stimming as a powerful form of self-expression and connection. By centring neurodivergent voices and collaborating with families and educators, From Stimming to Dance promotes a deeper understanding of neurodivergence, while fostering belonging, creativity, and wellbeing.
WORKSHOPS AGE 10 - 14:
Disability Films:
Jane and I
2026
Funded by Barbican, Arts Council, Intofilm.
FRAGMENTS
A blind woman narrates the extraordinary love she shared with Jane, another woman born without sight, as her imaginary world of sounds, touch, and laughter unfolds through vivid projected landscapes. When illness begins to erase Jane's voice and presence, their shared reality begins to fracture. In a story about perception, memory, and devotion, love becomes the only vision that endures beyond loss.
We created Jane and I to challenge narrow assumptions about disability and highlight the emotional realities often left unseen. While grounded in disability, the film ultimately explores universal human connection and how isolation often comes from exclusion rather than condition. Through poetic, honest storytelling, we hope to foster empathy and affirm the depth and humanity of disabled lives.
In My World In Your Eyes
2024
Funded by Barbican, Arts Council, Intofilm.
BFI & Into Film+ Screenings for Awareness in Schools
The film was acquired by the British Film Institute (BFI) via Into Film+ and is currently being screened in schools across the UK. It is being used to improve understanding of neurodiversity among both students and educators.
In My World, In Your Eyes has also reached a wide audience beyond the classroom, with over 10,000 views on YouTube and more than 20,000 views on Muni, reflecting its growing impact and resonance with viewers.
TRAILER
In My World, In Your Eyes follows Elena, an 11-year-old autistic girl navigating the challenges of mainstream school. Guided by her voice, viewers experience the world through immersive sensory simulations that reveal the unseen realities of neurodivergent life.
Poppy’s SuperPower
Supporting the publishing of:
by Janet Cheeseman
We’re proud to support the publication of Poppy’s SuperPower, a bold and joyful children’s book written by one of our workshop facilitators, Janet Cheeseman. This rhyming story follows Poppy — a loud, expressive, and misunderstood child — on her journey of self-acceptance and creative empowerment. Through music and friendship, Poppy discovers that her so-called “too muchness” is actually her greatest gift.
Poppy’s SuperPower celebrates neurodiversity with warmth and wit, offering an affirming message for autistic and neurodivergent children — whether they’re loud and proud or quietly masking. Inclusive Arts Collective supported the editing and printing of this book as part of our commitment to spreading understanding and celebrating difference.
600 FREE COPIES of the book will be distributed to all 70 primary schools in Waltham Forest, ensuring that more children and educators can access inclusive stories that reflect a wider range of minds, voices, and experiences.
If you'd like a copy or to collaborate with Janet, please GET IN TOUCH.
Coming in 2026
Young Voices
This is a creative programme by Inclusive Arts Collective CIC for children and young people aged 10–15 in Waltham Forest.
We will be running weekly Sunday workshops using art, movement, music, and storytelling. The programme supports young people who may feel anxious, isolated, or excluded, including both neurodivergent and non-neurodivergent children.
Workshops are led by experienced artists, many with lived experience of neurodivergence or working with young people facing different barriers. This helps create a safe, trusting, and welcoming environment.
The programme is delivered in four creative blocks:
Comic-making and visual storytelling
Music and sound (songwriting, rhythm, basic recording)
Drawing through movement and embodied creativity
Stop motion, basic video, or podcasting (participants choose)
Sessions are flexible and pressure-free. Young people can work alone or together, take breaks when needed, and choose how they take part. Activities are adapted to different interests, energy levels, and communication styles.
The project ends with a public exhibition for families and the local community, celebrating the young people’s work and encouraging confidence, pride, and a sense of belonging. Parents are also supported through shared spaces and monthly wellbeing sessions.
The Venue
Good Shepherd Studios – We’re based in both the auditorium and The Annex, spacious and adaptable areas perfect for creative exploration. These sensory-friendly spaces allow children to move freely, engage in multidisciplinary workshops, and express themselves in ways that suit their unique needs.
Our Pastures – We also work in the general activity room and the grass field, which provides a safe and open environment for movement-based and outdoor sessions. These spaces are ideal for group activities, sensory play, and inclusive games that help children connect with peers.
Both venues have been chosen for their accessibility, warmth, and flexibility — essential qualities for the kind of inclusive, neuro-affirming work we do.
Community Café – An important part of our project is the relaxed, cozy café space where parents and carers are welcome to gather during workshops. This area has become a vital hub for informal connection and peer support. Over time, it has helped to foster a strong community network where families can meet, share experiences, and build lasting relationships.
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Pablo Herrera
FOUNDER
A writer and educator whose work is deeply shaped by his neurodivergent experiences. With a Master of Arts in Screenplay, Pablo has explored themes of neurodiversity through video and writing.
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Rosana Antoli
CO-FOUNDER
A multidisciplinary artist specializing in performative art and social choreography, holding a Master's in Performance Art from the Royal College of Art. Her work investigates movement, collective behavior, and porous relational dynamics, often through immersive and interdisciplinary experiences.
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Andrea Mesones
WELLBEING TEAM LEAD
A psychologist with experience supporting autistic individuals and their families, with a focus on girls and women, through a neurodiversity-affirming approach. She has developed and led social skills workshops and recreational spaces for neurodivergent children and teens.
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Janet Chesseman
WORKSHOP LEADER
An illustrator with a quirky, fluid style perfect for children’s books and comics. She runs comic clubs, live drawing sessions, and interactive storytelling with music. Janet guides neurodivergent children how to express themselves through drawing.
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Hannah Whitfield
CREATIVE WELLBEING MENTOR
A multidisciplinary artist who uses creativity to inspire social change and support wellbeing. An actor, dancer, musician, and activist, she draws on her own experiences to explore challenging topics and encourage self-expression through art.
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Ina Leah
WORKSHOP LEADER
A multidisciplinary artist with a Master’s from the Royal College of Art. With a background in psychology, she explores therapeutic art through music, visual art, and movement, drawing on her experience as a neurodivergent artist.
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Imogen Hunt
WORKSHOP LEADER
A Master’s researcher at Trinity Laban exploring how stimming and self-regulatory movement support learning and wellbeing. Their project Neurospace in Action examines how the body manages energy, emotion, and attention. They lead inclusive sessions using movement for expression, regulation, and connection.
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Carolina Rieckhof
WORKSHOP LEADER
A sculptor and costume designer whose work explores the connection between body, space, and emotion through wearable sculpture. Drawing from interest in performance design and somatic practice, she collaborates with dancers and performers to create sensory, movement-based experiences.
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Vintage Shaw (they/them)
WORKSHOP LEADER
A neurodivergent, multi-disciplinary artist whose creative practice spans inclusive performance, acting, dance, and illustration. Currently studying inclusive performance, Vintage brings a unique perspective to their work, blending movement, storytelling, and visual art to explore identity, accessibility, and expression.