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VIRTUAL EVENT: Flow Unlocked: autistic adult's relationships and mental health

18 April 2021, 4:00 pm–6:00 pm

Flow unlocked. Image: Briony Campbell and Jon Adams

This online event will explore Flow Unlocked, a creative autistic led collaborative project which highlights the importance of relationships to autistic people.

This event is free.

Event Information

Open to

All

Availability

Yes

Cost

Free

Organiser

Dr Georgia Pavlopoulou

The intense sensitivity with which autistic people relate to the world is rarely recognised, let alone celebrated. 

The Flow Unlocked collective has been reflecting on personal and sensory relationships that have sustained them during the pandemic, as well as those they have missed. These reflections will be revealed through poetry, photography, drawing and film.

The visual art is created by co-artists Jon Adams and Briony Campbell, in collaboration with the Flow Unlocked participants and Dr Georgia Pavlopoulou, Lecturer at the UCL Institute of Education.

Georgia’s work on autistic mental health and relationships is at the root of Flow Unlocked. Traditionally, projects are made about autistic people not with them, but Flow Unlocked breaks the mould by redefining autistic narratives from the perspective of lived experience. 

We invite you to join us in erasing the damaging stereotypes that exist about autistic people, and celebrating their diverse talents and unique perspectives.

This event is for everyone. We especially welcome undiagnosed or self-diagnosed people and hope they may find resonance. There will be opportunities within the event for interaction and audience contributions, but you are equally welcome to just observe. No participation will be required.

This will include a presentation of visual and audio artworks, Q&A, and a creative interactive exercise inviting the audience to write poetry in response to the artwork. 

Links

Image: Briony Campbell and Jon Adams

About the Speakers

Dr Georgia Pavlopoulou

Lecturer at the UCL Institute of Education, Anna Freud Centre Workforce Training Leader and Autism Researcher

Georgia is the Project Co-Lead for Flow Unlocked.

Flow Unlocked is rooted in Georgia's ongoing work on understanding autistic people's relationships, aiming to communicate with the public the importance of relationships in the life of autistic people.

The project is an opportunity to address the questions of authenticity and representation pertinent to creative interdisciplinary collaboration with neurodivergent participants in research and public engagement. 

More about Dr Georgia Pavlopoulou

Jon Adams

Jon Adams is a polymath artist working cross-platform with image, poetry, sound, performance and spoken word.

His work references synaesthesia, autism, dyslexia, autobiography, science and hidden metaphor, resulting in unique visual perspectives of systemizing history, time and place.  

Briony Cambell

Briony is a photographer, filmmaker and creative facilitator.

She creates visual stories about intimate relationships, intercultural relations, social integration, and loss. Her work has been awarded, exhibited and published internationally.

As a facilitator Briony works collaboratively with underrepresented groups and subjects. Through participatory art methodologies she aims to amplify the diversity of voices, crucial to building inclusive societies.