Inside the Brave New Brain Exhibition
In May 2025, Brave New Brain took over House of Annetta in Brick Lane with a week-long celebration of neurodiversity, creativity, and community. The programme brought together renowned artists, community members, workshop participants from Headway East London and HMP Pentonville, and a wide public audience — all in the spirit of radical inclusion and creative expression.
The Exhibition
At the heart of Brave New Brain was a collaborative exhibition that grew out of a series of workshops with community groups, including Headway East London and participants from HMP Pentonville. The project was shaped by the lived experiences, creativity, and conversations that emerged from these sessions.
Alongside this work, the exhibition also featured contributions from a wide range of artists and facilitators, including:
Lucy McRae, Pierre Bureau, Evelin van Rei, Jason Ferry, Mike Pool, Carlotta Allum, Kazimir Bielecki, Sam Jevon, Paolo Fiorentini, Anita Fontaine, Rose Curran, Chris Kelly, John Costi, Di Mainstone, and Lotje Sodderland.
Together, the works explored themes of perception, memory, altered states, and neurodivergent experience — through photography, film, sculpture, installation, and mixed media.
Spoken Word Performance
Three powerful performances by neurodivergent spoken word artists — Sami Rimes, David Tovey, and John Costi — brought raw emotion and lived experience to the opening night.
Conversation: The Science of Neurodiversity
A thoughtful dialogue between Lotje Sodderland and Dr. Dimitrios Paschos explored the science and lived reality of neurodiversity. This conversation highlighted the importance of seeing neurological difference not as deficit, but as a valuable form of variation.
Book Launch:
Morphology – A Diary of Day Dreams
The exhibition also marked the launch of our new book, Morphology: A Diary of Day Dreams — a printed journey through visual thinking, abstraction, and poetic reflection, co-created with participants and artists involved in the project.
Film Screening and Talk
We screened Lotje’s new documentary, We Are The Tree, which tells the story of Manal Ahmed, a powerful community leader in Brighton supporting the neurodivergent community — including her autistic son. Manal joined us after the screening for a warm and inspiring Q&A.
Workshops
Artist Clare Smith led two collage workshops exploring neurodiversity through layered imagery, reflection, and conversation. These sessions were open to all and grounded in the belief that everyone has something to express — in their own way.
Thank You for Being Part of It
This week was a celebration of how creativity and care can come together to make space for voices too often unheard. A huge thank you to all the contributors, participants, and visitors who helped make Brave New Brain what it is.