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Autograph
Rivington Place
London EC2A 3BA, UK
We warmly invite families with a child/children with SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) and their siblings to join us for a free art workshop at Autograph's gallery in Hackney. The whole family is invited to get involved in creative play exploring the senses - playing with textures, light, sculpture and a variety of art materials.
Children with complex needs are welcome. This inclusive event will be led by Katriona Beales - an artist educator with extensive experience creating and leading workshops for families with children with SEND - and Tirzah Mileham, an artist and member of Submit to Love, a supported studio based locally in Hackney.
Autograph's gallery is accessible and step-free. You can expect a warm welcome from our staff and volunteers before diving into a fun session of art-making and experimentation. To get a better sense of our workshops, watch the video and see the images below.
Our family send workshops take place monthly. Would you like to know when future workshops are announced? Click here to join our Family SEND mailing list.
Tickets to this event are free, however must be booked in advance as our Family SEND Workshops are extremely popular. We will be running two separate workshops over the course of the day, one from 10am-12pm and one at 2-4pm. Your ticket is only valid for the specific time slot that you book on to. Please only book on to one of the two hour sessions to give other families the chance to attend.
Please book 1 ticket per family. After you book a ticket, you will be contacted by Autograph by email to provide more information about the attendees and how we can make the event as accessible as possible for your family.
Have any questions? We're here to help! Get in touch at livvy@autograph-abp.co.uk
Everyone is welcome at Autograph. We care about our visitors, staff, artists and community, and are keeping measures in place to help ensure a safe visit for everyone. Have a look at our Visit Us page, to find out more about getting to the gallery, accessibility and more.
Two disabled parking bays are available, located directly next to our building.
Each floor has an accessible toilet. All toilets are single-occupancy and unisex.
An air purifier will be in the room which filters more than 99.97% of particles.
We will have refreshments including tea and juice available.
"An amazing group of people who have put on a fantastic afternoon for children with disabilities / SEND and really thought it through. I booked onto this workshop over a month ago, two weeks or so prior to the event I received an email asking about my daughter's needs and requirements - this alone really made me happy. You are asking how you can best prepare for my daughters arrival.
I explained Kyanna was a wheelchair user and the ages of her siblings who would also be attending. They also emailed me 2 days prior saying they have saved me a car parking space which was on the grounds. Every activity that was put out, or reachable by a walking able bodied child, was also available for Kyanna in a table top version. There was absolutely nothing in the room she couldn’t engage with.
On observation all the staff were extremely enthusiastic, engaging and just absolutely lovely with every single child that attended. Each child roamed the room / outdoor space freely with no restrictions what so ever, exploring art in every way possible. We painted, we dressed up using materials and had a fashion show, we played with messy play, explored and just had the best time.
Many places claim to be SEND friendly and are far from it!! SEND inclusive doesn’t just mean being wheelchair accessible, or having a autism hour. It’s about staff who actually care. I’ve already booked onto next month's session and I advise you to do so too!"
— Kiesha attended our July 2020 workshop
Katriona Beales is an internationally exhibited artist who makes digital artefacts, objects, moving image and installation. Katriona has a wealth of experience in arts education, particularly in working with SEND, KS4 and 5 students and excluded young people from pupil referral units. Recent work includes new commissions at the V&A and Science Gallery London (2018); a participatory green screen installation 'As we are but not as you know us' at Autograph (2020); a commission for Disrupt & Reflect, online at IMPAKT, Netherlands (2020-21) and a commission for Sotheby’s Institute of Art that will premiere at the Digital Design Weekend at the V&A (2023).
She received an MA from Chelsea College of Arts supported by a Stanley Picker Award and has an artist profile on Rhizome.org. In 2023 she received a DYCP (Develop Your Creative Practice Award) from Arts Council England. Katriona is also one of three original founding members of Artists' Union England.
Tirzah Mileham is a London-based artist; she has been a member of Submit to Love Studios for more than 20 years. Mileham’s practice incorporates drawing, mark making and embroidery to explore pattern, fashion and pop cultural references. Her work has featured in exhibitions including: Making Faces, Southbank Centre, London (2017), Common Threads, Autograph, London (2021); Art is Freedom, Rich Mix, London (2022); differently various, Barbican, London (2023).
How we continued our inclusive workshop programme for families with children with SEND during Covid-19
Read moreDownload free activity worksheets and make-along with our instructional videos - suitable for the whole family!
Read moreOur family art activity worksheets have been created by artist Katriona Beales and are for everyone
Read more
Since 2019, we've been making inclusive workshops for the whole family. Find our more about the project
Read moreSupported by City Bridge Trust, the funding arm of The City of London Corporation’s charity, Bridge House Estates (1035628)
Banner image: From Family SEND Workshops at Autograph
Your visit: Rivington Place, home of Autograph. Photograph by Zoë Maxwell.
All workshop images: From Family SEND Workshops at Autograph.
Autograph is a place to see things differently. Since 1988, we have championed photography that explores issues of race, identity, representation, human rights and social justice, sharing how photographs reflect lived experiences and shape our understanding of ourselves and others.
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