Community and Lisa
Artbox London is a safe, welcoming and accessible place where artists with learning disabilities and autistic artists feel a sense of belonging and inclusion. This is the heart of Artbox London. By attending the same weekly workshop, our artists are able to build relationships with their peers, as well as volunteers and staff members. Artists are able to be as social as they want to be, with the opportunity to chat or to work on their artwork quietly - sometimes our artists work on projects together.
Lisa
Lisa has said she feels really happy in the Artbox studio. Having been discouraged from making art in other settings, she has loved expressing herself creatively and loves working alongside our other artists who make her feel very inspired.
Lisa says: “I have two ‘sisters’ in the Artbox studio, Bobbi and Violet, and I have a penpal, Kasia, who attends on a different day. They all make me happy - they saved me and helped me to believe in myself and my art. Artbox and the people in the studio are like my family.”
These friendships have expanded out the studio and in March, Lisa, Bobbi and Violet all went out for a meal together. Our artists have often experienced a lot of isolation throughout their lives, so it is extremely meaningful when they feel able to build new relationships with each other and explore new settings in London. We hope to hear about many more outings soon!