I'm Me

Exploring identity, representation and voice with learning disabled and autistic artists.

I'm Me is a 2 year Arts and Humanities Research Council funded project working with learning disabled and autistic artists to explore questions of identity, representation and voice.

As an inclusive research project, I'm Me works with people with learning disabilities and autism as researchers, artists, producers, writers, musicians and performers. It uses the creative arts as a means of exploring and sharing lived experiences to make a difference in an accessible manner. This includes explorations of:

• Identity: What makes you, you?
• Representation: Can you, see you?
• Voice: Can they hear you? 

In particular, the project is based on the Creative Doodle Book. The Doodle Book uses open and playful tasks to encourage artists to think about a topic through creating art. Through this approach the thoughts, ideas and creative understandings of the artists with learning disability and autism will be at the heart of the process.

I'm Me ends with a festival in June 2025 that will share performances, exhibitions, and videos. The Festival will display the creative responses of the artists involved in the project and their thoughts on identity, representation and voice.

I'm Me is conducted by Matthew Reason, Kelsie Acton and Jade French, working with an inclusive research team including Daniel Foulds, Zara Mallinson and Alison Colborne.

I'm Me is created with Mind the Gap and in partnership with a network of 6 disability arts companies:

• About Face
• Confidance
• Hijinx
• Lung Ha
• Open Theatre
• Under the Stars

The following pages document some of the ongoing work of the project.

I'm Me is funded by a grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Photographs, Doodle Book design and illustrations by Brian Hartley.
I'm Me comics by Aimee Shepherd.