Mind The Gap Panel Talk: Challenging the Norms of Inclusion

About the event:

Panel Talk on Challengening Norms of Inclusion, the barriers that still exist and how we can move beyond surface-level gestures to nurture spaces where neurodivergent individuals feel genuinely welcomed and supported.

When: Wednesday, 16th of April

Time: 18:30-19:30

Where: Westminster Reference Library

St Martin's Street 35

WC2H 7HP

(Just off Leicester Sqiure)

Accessibility: Please be aware that there are two sets of steps leading into the library, with no lift access.

Who gets to step inside? Who is left waiting at the door? And who never even gets the chance to knock?

As part of the Mind the Gap exhibition event programme, this panel talk explores the spaces between inclusion and exclusion.

Inclusion isn’t just about opening doors; it’s about what happens once you’re inside. Do people feel like they belong? Do they have the support to stay and take part fully? And what about those who never make it to the door - who are at home, overwhelmed or excluded by spaces not built for them. How do we bring our doors closer to them?

Join neurodivergent artists Alison Lam, Susan Kruse and more as they explore what meaningful inclusion looks like, the barriers that still exist and how we can move beyond surface-level gestures to nurture spaces where neurodivergent individuals feel genuinely welcomed and supported.

Mind the Gap is funded by Arts Council England National Lottery Grants. 

About the Artist, Alison Lam

Alison is a neurodivergent, interdisciplinary artist working with porcelain, metals, glass and paper. Through her socially engaged practice, she investigates themes of grief, discardment, and ostracisation using experimental, hands-on processes she describes as “drawing with her hands.” Alison’s art is deeply shaped by her experiences as a mother to two autistic sons with complex needs as she explores resilience, inclusion and the hidden beauty in overlooked details.

About Mind the Gap

Have you ever felt a deep, sinking feeling of being stuck, unsure how to move forward? Or even the euphoria of a moment so big it feels like you might burst?

These extremes and the transitional spaces between them, form the heart of Alison Lam’s immersive exhibition Mind The Gap in London.

Mind the Gap grew from workshops with neurodivergent individuals across the UK, where participants discussed the idea of ‘overwhelm’. These conversations led to collaborative visual scores that redefined overwhelm as a complex experience with growth potential, rather than just a negative one.

Mind the Gap features a multimedia installation of scrolls created from the visual scores, taking visitors on a sensory journey from calm to chaos and back again.

Reserve a spot on Eventbrite