Autonomous Expression and Creative Connection: An exploration of art-making with neurodivergent people in regional Australia

The historical segregation of neurodivergent people has disrupted their agency and belonging, along with society’s natural diversity. This research explores how art therapy and community arts paradigms amalgamate to create dynamic, experimental spaces where a multitude of connections form. Group art-making as a process remains under-researched. This study aims to elucidate its impact on a neurodiverse population in regional Australia. The research should contribute to the literature and practice of art therapy and community arts with groups who may face marginalisation in their day to day lives. The research was conducted with nine neurodivergent participants who access group art-making. A single case study design with participatory action research (PAR) data collection incorporated five qualitative methods. These included three focus groups, nine observations, nine mood questionnaires, nine artworks, and nine third party interviews. Nvivo7 software with thematic coding tools was utilised for the analysis of the data. Participating in group art-making led to four discernible relationships. First was their relationship to the art as an object, but also as an embodiment of identity or subject; second was relation to self; the third, relation to others within the group; and fourth was the potential for relation to the individual’s community through the showing or gifting of the artwork. The research found that facilitation can enhance how those connections are formed. These outcomes foster individual agency, a sense of belonging to the group, and connection to the community external to the group. A six-stage art facilitation model was created that can be used to guide art groups that emphasise connection throughout creative process.