Over the summer months artist Kate MacKay has been running workshops with neurodivergent communities in Moray as part of her Combine to Create residency.
At the Mind’s Eye Summer School, Kate met with neurodivergent parents and children for weekly creative workshops using the natural environment and creative processes to express themselves, make friendships and connections, and have fun.
Kate said, “The workshops also provided a much needed support hub for parents, where they were able to informally share knowledge, information and experiences with others navigating the difficult terrain of autism diagnosis, support and advocacy for their children.”
In July, Kate ran a polychrome cards workshop at Zen Fest Moray, held at the Altyre Estate, where she invited people to explore the card deck developed earlier in her residency.
The card deck is a meditative interactive artwork, exploring the autistic spectrum as a colour palette, with diagnostic labels as vibrant word poems and creative processes as pathways to new positive narratives.
Kate said, “The group participated beautifully, bringing so much heartfelt experience, personal stories and truths. It was very inspiring to hear how the work resonated with varied lived experiences and see the readiness and hope for new dialogues around neurodiversity”.
Find out more about Combine to Create on the project page.
Photography credits: Jason Sinclair
Kate MacKay is a multidisciplinary artist based in Moray. Kate studied Fine Art at Edinburgh College of Art and has worked as a community artist for over 20 years.
