Colin Hambrook has been working at the hub of the Disability Arts Movement for nearly 30 years, having been editor of Disability Arts In London magazine through the late 1990s. He founded Disability Arts Online in 2004 striving towards his vision for the site as a journal dedicated to being a voice for disabled artists whilst supporting the development of arts programs that reflect on disability as a social and political construct from a Social Model perspective. Colin is also a disabled artist in his own right and has published two illustrated poetry collections: 100 Houses (DaDaSouth 2010) and Knitting Time (Waterloo Press 2013) which was shortlisted for a Ted Hughes Award.

Jennifer Gilbert is a Manchester-based gallerist, freelance producer, and curator, working with self-taught, disabled, neurodivergent, deaf and overlooked artists. In 2017 she launched the Jennifer Lauren Gallery to showcase and empower artists internationally, having previously managed a national arts charity for under-represented artists. Through her work, Jennifer hopes to: demystify what is regarded as art, continue to challenge the stigma surrounding this field, and to re-look at how work is displayed and written about within contemporary art. In her freelance role, Jennifer helps disabled and neurodivergent artists with their professional development, alongside providing mentoring and more general support. Jennifer also does consultancy work alongside galleries, museums and organisations, with a particular focus on access and inclusion.

Tim Corrigan is an artist filmmaker and Creative Director at Project Art Works. Tim has worked with Project Art Works since the organisation’s foundation over 20 years ago and is fundamental to the leadership team.Through his creative practice as a filmmaker, Tim has shaped Project Art Works’ use of moving image: film is used both as a way of establishing an environment within a creative context and to support activism and advocacy by enabling neurodivergent people to reposition themselves and the way they are seen in society.

Katie Taylor has over ten years’ experience as a creative producer and project manager. Her previous work includes community engagement and participation projects with Design Museum, The Book Club and Fun Palaces. Katie is also a writer and performer, focusing on work for small audiences. She is currently developing a performance practice informed by sensory approaches to storytelling. At Project Art Works, Katie manages the in-house creative programme, supporting the artists in the collective to collaborate and realise their creative ambitions.

Cara is the Managing and Artistic Director and is responsible for the overall running of DAiSY. As a Neurodiverse Artist herself she has nearly 20 years’ experience of working in the visual arts with an expertise in public and participatory art as both Artist and Producer.

Oliver Sumner is Manager of CVAN South East, part of the Contemporary Visual Arts Network in England. Current initiatives include the Platform Graduate Award and the Neurodivergent Peer Group. A specialist in creative learning and visual arts engagement, Oliver has undertaken independent contracts for cultural organisations including Arts Council Collection, the British Council, Engage, Greater London Authority, Hayward Touring, National Saturday Club and Tate. Oliver has a history of curatorial and socially engaged projects with artists, including roles at Camden Art Centre (London), John Hansard Gallery (Southampton) and Aspex Portsmouth. Based in Portsmouth, Oliver is a neurodiversity advocate. He recently began a part-time role as a Peer Support Worker (Neurodivergence) in Adult Social Care for Portsmouth City Council.

Gareth Evans joined Carousel in 2011 and became Artistic Director in 2021. He works closely with Carousel artists to shape an ambitious and inclusive creative programme across multiple artforms. His recent work includes coordinating the Creative Minds network of learning disabled artists and the organisations that support them across the UK.

Anna Farley (b.1989) is an autistic artist based near Hull. She makes work exploring her autism and co-occurring conditions & UK disability benefit culture. Anna’s practice is socially engaged & process based, focusing on the principle of inclusion. It sees her consult and network with other members from the disabled community and beyond. Carving methods of access to the art industry on her own terms. She creates and delivers bespoke autism inclusion training for arts institutions & organisations nationally and internationally. Farley’s practice subverts the traditional culture of galleries and museums, while acknowledging their dedication to caring for art objects. She applies these same principles to prioritise the comfort of the public. Her work imagines new possibilities for what public art spaces could or should be, creating pieces that provide for others. An example of this was the flexible residency she undertook in 2024 to develop Your Space for Tate St Ives. Farley continues to seek opportunities to test and experiment what inclusion is within creative spaces and the relationship between environment and productivity for different people. Building on a body of research about unlocking, opening, and sharing the importance of art and community.

Charlie Fitz (she/they) is a sick, disabled, and neurodivergent artist, writer, and grassroots disability arts organiser. Her interdisciplinary practice spans multiple mediums, exploring lived experiences of illness, disability and trauma through storytelling, folklore and collaboration. She has exhibited nationally and internationally, with work shown at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, the Southbank Centre and The British Museum with Shape Arts. Alongside her creative work, Charlie is a trustee of DAiSY (Disability Arts in Surrey), a member of Resting Up Collective and a co-director of the remote artist studio TRIAD³. She also consults and mentors in accessibility, disability culture and language. Grounded in disability justice, her practice and organising reimagine care, community and the radical potential of disabled creativity.

Miss Jacqui is a multi-talented artist who is known for her powerful poetry and soulful music. As a Spoken Word Artist and Songwriter, she has a unique ability to weave together words and melodies to create a message that is both thought-provoking and inspiring. But Miss Jacqui’s talent goes far beyond her ability to create beautiful art. As a wheelchair user herself, she has faced many challenges and obstacles throughout her life. However, she has never let those challenges define her. Instead, she has used her experiences to become an advocate for people with disabilities and a voice for those who may not have one. Through her poetry and music, Miss Jacqui strives to challenge societal perceptions and break down barriers. She wants her listeners to see the world differently, to think outside the box, and to embrace their differences. Her goal is to inspire others to feel confident in being themselves, no matter what society may say. In addition to her work as a poet and songwriter, Miss Jacqui is also a facilitator. She uses her skills to lead workshops and discussions on topics such as diversity, inclusion, and disability rights. Her ability to connect with people and create a safe and welcoming space for discussion has made her a sought-after speaker and educator. Overall, Miss Jacqui is a true artist, activist, and advocate. Her passion for using her talents to make a difference in the world is truly inspiring, and her commitment to challenging societal norms is something that we can all learn from.

Lesley Illingworth is a fine art textile artist, graduating from the Royal School of Needlework in 2015. She is an disability activist and a blogger for Disability Arts Online. She received the DAiSY Re-emerge bursary in 2020. Her Story Telling coat was in Tate Modern in 2016 in a guerilla exhibition and in Hastings Museum and Art gallery in the Hidden out of Sight exhibition in 2023. Her installation exhibition Artists and Disability Oppression: Up Close and Intensive was in the House of Commons in 2024. She took the Outside in Workshop leaders course in 2025. She has 30 years of experience of facilitating a wide variety of workshops in art, craft, creativity, nature and ecological subjects.

Jon is both a contemporary Artist, advocate and researcher, working in a variety of media including sound, drawing, word and performance, often referencing his autism, synaesthesia and dyslexia, all interwoven with history, science, time and his past experiences. The result is a unique visual perspective of systemising and recording history, time and place. He studied geology at Kings College London becoming a geological book illustrator, later branching out into history and conceptual artwork. His national profile includes creating work across a wide range of institutions, universities, organisations and has shown in galleries such as Royal Academy, Tate Modern and Turner Contemporary. He’s been commissioned for many projects including Parliament in the making 2015, London 2012 and for the stage. He advocates for the rights and agency of Neurodivergent people to fully access the arts, funding, health care and coproduce relevant research.

Xan and Gerald are neurodivergent artists based between London and Surrey exploring rhythmic, repetitive movement as stimming—a manifestation of their neurodivergence. For Xan, the intersection of stimming and dance is a way to explore access and to define a neuro-queer approach to dance practice. Gerald, after earning his MA in Painting (Performance Pathway) at the Royal College of Art, has been developing a neurodivergent art language. He merges drawing and painting with performance, sound, and movement to create new audience dialogues. Together they have developed Practicing in Parallel, working with drawing, movement, and sound to create dialogues through improvisation and repetition. Their work has been supported by Arts Council England and presented with partners including Entelechy Arts’ Ambient Jam, Project Artworks, Siobhan Davies Studios and Southbank Centre.