Introduction
Welcome to another MAG SPECIAL which is absolutely packed with information. This time around we have a review of the Autistic Pride event held in Brighton last weekend. Then we look at the upcoming Autistic Mental Health Conference. Finally, there's an extensive preview of the Neurodiverse-city event that is taking place in Brighton on August 7. I hope as many as possible of you will attend that.
It's been a manic time at THE MAG with our viewing figures steadily climbing. Please spread the word about this blog, that would be really appreciated. Earlier this week, someone put on social media that they were autistic and moving to Brighton but didn't know anyone. I told them about this blog and hopefully they will access the many groups in this city. That's how this blog can help people and it means everything to me.
Next week will see the publication of our next listings guide. I have plenty of new groups and events that are going to be added to the listings. This being Brighton & Hove, I will also be adding an LGBTQ+ section to THE MAG, so lots to read. I hope you enjoy this edition.
The Brighton Squawk
If you want to keep in touch with the many events that are taking place in Brighton & Hove, subscribe to
The Brighton Squawk.
Their newsletter is packed with information with a Brighton Bulletin, Community Corner, Worth a Bite, Property Pick, a lengthy What's On Guide, and a Trivia Titbit all completely free. It's sent out every Tuesday and Friday. THE MAG was given a lovely write-up in their Community Corner section earlier this week and I really appreciate that.
Leo Baker
You will have noticed that we have a logo now. Don't for a second think that I designed it (and others for THE MAG and THE MAG EXTRA) as that's just not a task I can perform. Credit for the logos and our business card goes to Leo Baker who is "a beginner graphic designer alongside studying sports management at university" and created the logos for me free of charge.
He is open to doing "a variety of graphic design work for everyone throughout multiple different industries." Email him at leobaker1409@gmail.com.
Contents
- Review of Autistic Pride
- Previw of Autistic Mental Health Conference
- Preview of Neurodiverse-city
- Vendors details
- The Big Show
Review of Autistic Pride
I have to admit that if the Autistic Pride/Craft Fair held on July 25 had been held before March of this year I would have just walked past it. At that point, my being autistic had never crossed my mind, so it meant nothing to me. Fast forward to July and following my diagnosis in May, the event suddenly meant everything to me
My mind did wander back to the first ever LGBT Pride event I attended in London 31 years ago. There’d been no need for any diagnosis but I had never been on the scene until moving to Portsmouth in 1995 after the death of my parents. Just like with my recent autism diagnosis, that changed my life.
I still remember plucking up the courage to go to that event in London. Typical of me, I got the details wrong and ended up at the wrong venue before finally finding the real one. Memories flooded back of watching Toyah on the main stage (Dean Beadle would be so jealous) and edging towards a roast pork and apple sauce van to get some heat as the evening turned rather chilly.
Now it was 2026 and time for a very different Pride event. The Autistic Pride/Craft Fair wasn’t quite on the scale of the Pride that will dominate Brighton at the start of August. It was just as important though, another stepping stone on the voyage of discovery that I have been on since my diagnosis in May.
When that shock diagnosis occurred just two months ago, I wouldn’t have imagined that by the time July arrived I would be editing a blog about autism and writing an in–depth preview of Autistic Pride.
I have to admit to being a bit worn out on July 25. Our Pride Special had gone online on the 21st but I’d been continually updating it throughout the week, especially on Friday. I wasn’t going to miss this event that had been organised by AIM though and made my way to the Unitarian Church.
It was going to be an important day as I’d finally get to meet the speakers and vendors that I'd been writing about for the past few weeks. It was also a good opportunity of course to spread the word about THE MAG and how it can help the community.
There was an excellent range of products available at the craft fair. Whether it was jewellery, clothing, a wide range of books or even railway-related photographs, there was something for everyone. I even managed to end up leaving the church with a temporary tattoo.
It was a bit exhausting continually introducing myself to the vendors. I’d done that at Pride events previously and always ended up going home worn out but I didn't have heart failure then as I do now. Some good contacts were made though that will help provide some excellent content for THE MAG in the months ahead.
That will include trans poet Melody Haze who has published her collection of poems in a book entitled 'Human Heart Explosion' which we will review in August.
One slight disappointment was the lack of local autism groups at the event. BNC (Brighton Neurodivergent Community) were there selling their goods (seen above) but no other groups. One table manned throughout the day by the members of groups in the city would have helped spread awareness of just what is on offer in Brighton.
Time to Talk
Feeling a bit drained, I headed over to the ever-welcoming Puzzle Bored as it wasn’t too long until the speakers were going to be giving their talks. A slight problem was the appearance of a rapper and singer who decided to start performing outside the Unitarian Church. They were being watched by a hen party who were dressed as old ladies (a real Golden Girls reunion) complete with zimmer frames they had no actual need for.
Cue some rap that saw them having to shake their zimmer frames in the air. Considering that 11 months beforehand I’d been using a zimmer frame while recovering from my heart attack, I found this as funny as a Nigel Farage speech. Autistic Pride organisers quickly had a word with them to keep the volume down as the speeches were about to begin.
First up was prolific author David Gray-Hammond from NeuroHub UK. Just what was autistic pride? David told those listening that autistic people should always refuse to be ashamed and have others trying to tell them to be more neurotypical. We are what we are meant to be and we should be proud to be autistic.
Next up was Ed Shearer from Neurodivergent Joy. We’d had a long and enjoyable chat at the Craft Fair and like David, he is someone I have a lot of time for. Ed had been diagnosed as autistic at the age of 47 and just as it has for myself, it changed his
His life wasn’t going well last year after being made redundant from his job. That affected his mental health and the change and uncertainty he was facing was proving increasingly difficult. He told us how he has fought back from those lows and set up his own business.
Ed is now so busy giving talks and improving his Neurodivergent Joy site as every day goes by. I really associated myself with what he was saying and the fact that change can be scary but also a blessing in disguise that can bring many rewards. We’ll have more coverage of Ed and his site in future editions.
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Ed was followed by Dean Beadle and a discussion about autistic joy and it was a truly brilliant talk. I guess I know now just what I feel when finding yet another Christmas show, a rare comic or a sitcom I'd never previously seen. There are several ways in which Dean experiences autistic joy. He loves doors but it’s all very platonic and he’s yet to be thrown out of a B&Q store. He was in danger of that happening when attending a Doctor Who exhibition and simply having to touch the TARDIS console.
Dean also told us how Toyah changed his life. He has met her and spent ages afterwards phoning all and sundry telling them about his fantastic experience. That took my mind back to Toyah at that London Pride event I had attended 31 years ago.
More memories came flooding back when the next speaker Erin Ekins told us about her books. As is the case for many members of the LGBTQIA+ community, her time as a youngster was not easy and at that time Erin had no idea that she wasn’t just queer but autistic too.
Eventually being diagnosed, Erin was then in a position where she was part of the ‘double rainbow'; Erin gave a fascinating talk on statistics regarding the number of autistic people who are also members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
During the years I was editing publications for the LGBTQ+ community, I reported on many reforms of laws that produced more equality. Erin spoke about there being growing hostility towards the community. It was a comment I immediately thought about when hearing news of the events at Berlin Pride later that evening. More about Erin in August whe we review her first book 'Queerly Autistic.'
You can see the speeches on the AIM Facebook page.
Autistic Pride was a great event to attend. I wish more people from our community had attended, they really missed out on something special. Congratulations to Emma Dalmayne and all at AIM, Puzzle Bored and the speakers and vendors that were part of this event. Roll on next year. Credit for the excellent photos from the event goes to Owen Liddle.
Autistic Mental Health Conference
August is going to be such a busy month in the Brighton area. After the Pride event and Neurodiverse-city, there is the Autistic Mental Health Conference from August 14-16. This is being organised by NeuroHub Community Ltd in association with Autistic Inclusive Meets (AIM).
Two of the days are being held online but on the 15th, people can attend the conference in-person at St Mary Magdalen Church Hall in Coldean. That will also include stalls, food and entertainment.
The conference is for members of the neurodivergent community, whether they have been diagnosed, are self-identified or uncertain. Also welcome to attend are parents and family members, professionals who work with neurodivergent people, eductors, therapists and support workers and anyone that wants to have a more inclusive understanding of neurodiversity.
Included in the conference will be "keynote talks from leading voices in the neurodiversity space." There will also be "live and pre recorded accounts of lived experience from members of the autistic community." The three days will cover "Ecosystemic Causes of Mental Health Issues”—examining how environments, systems, and societal structures shape neurodivergent wellbeing."
Details have now been published of who the speakers will be.
Friday 14th
The first talk takes place between 11.10am and 11.50am. It will be given by Natasha Leahy and the subject will be one that will fascinate myself and many others in our community. Natasha will be speaking about "The Trauma of Not Knowing: Late Autistic Identification as Systemic Harm.'
Next up (12.05pm to 12.20pm) will be 'Self Advocating for reasonable adjustments' by Sarah Meharg. From 1.50pm to 2.30pm, the conference will hear from Lawrence Kamp and the topic of his talk will be 'Grounding: Embodiment and Regeneration for the Neuro-complex – an experience.'
Then from 3.30pm to 4.40pm, David Gray-Hammond and Tanya Adkin will talk about "The Ecosystemic Model Of Distress: An ecological approach to Autistic and monotropic wellbeing’ The final talk comes from Dr Nick Walker between 5:00pm and 5.40pm on the subject of '‘Unorthodox Approaches to the Cultivation of Autistic Psychological Resilience.'
Saturday August 15th
This is the one day of the conference where people can attend in-person. First to speak will be Dr Nathan Keates between 10.20 am and 11.00 am with the subject being '‘Power and Meaning: Autistic Mental Distress’
After being such a success at Autistic Pride, Ed Shearer will be back on the south coast. From 11.10am to 11.50am, he will be talking about 'Being Pushed from Pillar to Post.'
That will be followed between 12.05pm and 12.20pm by Nic James talking about ‘The Sensory Scrum: Navigating the Microclimate of the Rugby Pitch as an Autistic Referee’ Now he really does sound like someone I need to chat to for a future edition.
Between 1.10pm and 1.50pm it's Jessica Dark.
Next up will be Karen Parker between 2.00pm and 2.40pm. Karen will be talking about ‘Health Needs are Not Behaviour: The “Performance Over Health” School Culture’
Nikki Smith is on next from 3.00pm to 3.40pm. The subject of her talk will be 'Platforming autistic voices
in research.' We contacted Nikki and below she tells us more about being a speaker at such an event and what she'll be talking about this year.
"Last year I spoke at the Mental Health Conference in Coldean, and it was a bit of a revelation. It was the first time I'd been in a room where most of the people there were autistic. There was no need to mask, no pressure to fit in, and no exhausting social guesswork. It was such a welcoming, thoughtful and engaging space that I knew I'd love to come back and do it again.
This year I'll be sharing some of the early findings from my PhD research that aims to explore the experiences of autistic young people of any gender in mainstream secondary schools. From the very beginning, the project has been shaped by an Autism Advisory Group whose members have helped make sure the research reflects what really matters to autistic young people. Parents and participants have told me they appreciate having the chance to talk about their experiences in a way that feels respectful and genuinely empowering. Some have even described the process as cathartic.
One thing that has come through again and again is the impact that school can have on mental health. Both the Advisory Group and the young people taking part in the research spoke about how their mental health was negatively affected by their experiences at school. Although the research is still in its early stages, many participants have described a decline in their mental health during their school years.
Those stories remind us that autistic young people are not struggling because they are autistic. Too often, they are struggling because they are trying to navigate environments that don't understand or support their needs. By listening to autistic young people and involving them from the start, I hope this research can make recommendations to schools to become places where autistic pupils can thrive rather than simply get by."
I went years masking without even knowing such a term existed or that I was constantly doing it. I'll be very interested therefore to hear Ava McAuley between 3.50pm and 4.30pm and her talk: ‘Survival on the Surface: Understanding Masking, Misunderstandings and Mental Health in Autism.’
Another popular person at Autistic Pride was the author Erin Ekins. Erin will be speaking at the conference between 5.00pn and 5.40pm and her talk will be' ‘Under The Double Rainbow: Growing up Queerly Autistic and Proud’
Then from 5.50pm to 6.30pm, it will be Harry Mansfield. Sunday 16th August 11:05am -11:45am
Sunday August 16th
The first speaker on the final day will be Meryem Cetinkaya between 11.05am and 11.45am with a talk entitled: 'Autism, Suicidality, and Co-Created Care: Here to Help’
Between 2.45pm and 3.25pm there will be Stacy Badon talking about ‘Parallel Neurotypes: Navigating Co-Regulation in Neurodivergent Families.' That will be followed between 3.30pm and 4.10pm by Amber Dawn talking about ‘The Breadth of Breaking Bread; Supporting Neurodivergent Relationships with Food Intake and Sharing A Meal’.
Tickets are available for individual days or you can purchase a three-day pass. Ticket holders will also have exclusive access to a library of pre-recorded talks. That's a very useful resource as there just isn't the time at the actual conference to include everyone who wants to make a contribution.
The on-demand library will include talks from:
- Bobbi Elman
- David Gray-Hammond
- Anshar Seraphim
- Sarah ‘Sass’ Burn
- Teodora Byrne – ‘Cultivating digital space: The mental health lifeline of the online autistic community.’
- Jade Farrington – ‘Autistic Resistance and Challenging Neuronormativity in the Therapy Room’
- Laura Hellfield – ‘Health Needs are Not Behaviour: The “Performance Over Health” School Culture’
Tickets are available for individual days or you can purchase a three-day pass with discounts available. We'll review the conference in future editions. Early bird tickets have finished. The organisers are offering a discount to members of their online community, NHS staff, and bespoke discounts for people in financial hardship or making group bookings
NeuroHub is a "neurodivergent-led initiative focused on improving understanding, wellbeing, and inclusion for neurodivergent people. Their goals is to "contribute to a world where neurodivergent people are understood, supported and able to flourish."
Grounded in NeuroHub Community Ltd’s six-point framework, it centres learning and partnership, inviting readers to honour authentic Autistic needs, identities, and ways of being through relationships and environments, rather than attempting to fix or change individuals. We'll have more about them in future editions.
A busy August will end with David presenting a webinar entitled: 'Autism, Psychosis, And The Ecology Of Distress.' He's previously presented that to the International Congress of the International Society for Psychological and Social Approaches to Psychosis (ISPS) International Congress in Lausanne, Switzerland last month.
The webinar takes place between 6pm and 7.30pm on Monday 31 August. The talk will cover the "the ecosystemic model of distress, and understanding psychosis in Autistic people through an ecological lens." You can purchase tickets for £5 plus £0.60 booking fee at this llnk.
Neurodiverse-city is Nearly Here
This great event is being held on Friday August 7 by local charity Grace Eyre with their events team Purple Productions and partners. It's a day/night event which the organisers describe as "a celebration and education of neurodiversity in Brighton." In the daytime, there is a free festival for all ages on New Road between Puzzle Bored and the Unitarian Church.
Then in the evening between 5pm and 9pm, the church will be holding a 18+ ticketed show that will include comedy. music and dance performances with Strenuous, Daniel Wakeford, Grace Eyre Art House and Rainboy among those confirmed.
The award-winning Grace Eyre charity support people with a learning disabiity and autistic people "to live the lives they want."
Jenny Good from Grace Eyre told THE MAG more about the work that they and Purple Productions carry out and Neurodiverse-city
"Purple Productions are an events team by and for adults with learning disabilities and autistic people in the charity Grace Eyre. Our biggest mission is to become independent equals in our own community, with the same treatment and access as everyone else.
We put on events all over Brighton, our biggest being a festival because there is such limited access to festivals for our community.
But this year, we're going a little bigger than just putting on a festival. This year we have a purpose: to celebrate and educate Brighton on neurodiversity. The reason we say neurodiversity and not just neurodivergence, is that neurodiversity includes everyone. And hopefully makes everyone stop and think about the fact that we all have different minds. "
The daytime event runs from 12 pm to 5pm and it's going to be action-packed. There will be games and activities with face painting, tombola and art stalls also available. Local vendors will be there and it promises to be a great afternoon.
Now let's take an in-depth look at what lies ahead for us at Neurodiverse-city. We'll begin by looking at the free daytime event and the vendors and local support groups and charities who will be in attendance. The images for the Neurodiverse-city event itself come from Grace Eyre, thanks for letting us use them.
Amaze was founded in 1997 by a group of parents who had a desire to "guide other parents and carers through the maze of bringing up a child with special educational needs or disabilities."
In December 1999, they registered as a charity and they currently support young people aged 14-25 as well as their parents and carers. In addition to working in Brighton and Hove, they also carry out work in East Sussex. Amaze offers "emotional and social support as well as information and advice." April 2026 saw them beginning to host the West Sussex Parent Carer Forum.
Their site is packed with useful resources and has pages dedicated to autism, ADHD and dyspraxia. Also recommended are their factsheets. They run groups for parents and young people. Amaze also run several events each month, full details are on their website.
In Autumn 2026 the streets,parks and open spaces of Brighton & Hove will become a storybook. Amaze has partnered with Wild in Art to create the Amaze Story Trail. Between 12 September and 8 November, there will be over 30 BookBenches around the city all to raise funds for Amaze. Wait until you meet their mascot BookBench, Benchy.
We'll have more about this in our next edition or chat to them about it on August 7. Looking forward to Neurodiverse-city, Amaze told us: "Amaze are really looking forward to taking part in this exciting event which features so many other brilliant charities and groups. We can't wait to see you there!"
Brighton and Hove Albion
The new season is nearly here. Mind you, after all those World cup games it’s difficult to work out when the last season ended. It’s going to be an exciting season for the Seagulls as for only the second time in their history, they will be playing in European competition, this time the Conference League.
A day before they host Roma in a pre-season friendly, the club will be present at the Neurodiverse-city event.
Carousel
Carousel is an award winning learning disability led arts organisation. They are located at Community Base at 113 Queens Road, Brighton BN1 3XG.
They hold events such as The Blue Camel Club which has been running for 24 years. Carousel also broadcasts their own podcasts and radio programmes and also have their very own Youtube channel.
Connect and Do
The Connect and Do program “offers workshops and activities for everyone in the community.” They believe that by bringing people together via shared interests and creating a space to “connect, learn and develop” they can build local communities.
Their sessions are a mixture of face-to-face drop-in sessions around community spaces and those that are online on Zoom. They are peer-led by creative facilitators “who have lived experience of mental ill health or disability.”
The great news is that they have received funding and donations and that allows them to offer most of their workshops free of charge and they are open to everyone.
Their approach is “about bringing people together around common interests.” They believe this is better than just a diagnosis. Connect and Do offers a safe space where people “can feel comfortable, creative and purposeful.” Their creative activities include creative writing, arts andcrafts, a walking group trips and tours and music via choirs and performing arts.
Cotton Candy Caboodle
This company is run by Chelsey who hails from America and now lives in Newhaven. Chelsey describes herself as having “a massive sweet tooth and obsession with colour.” Hence her declaring that she is a “living, walking rainbow.” Oh and in the 90s she so wanted to be the pink Power Ranger.
If you are coming to Neurodiverse-city and want to purchase some outstanding jewellery, accessories and gifts, then look no further than Cotton Candy Caboodle.
Edge Club
The Edge Club is based in Brighton that creates opportunities for adults who have disabilities. This allows individuals to “promote and explore their creativity in physical, social and mental activities.”
They do this in several different ways. For example, there are theme nights held for a very special reason. Their hope is that the nights will allow those attending “to try new things or things that they have seen before but have never had the opportunity to do previously.” These have included everything from experimental cooking to sports and bingo.
Out & About’s are also held once a month. Again, it seems to be all about new experiences and they write on their website, they go to venues that “you may have seen before but may never have participated in.” It could be a trip to a bowling alley, the movies or a restaurant.
EDGE Extra is an afternoon of activities for smaller groups. Those attending are picked up from home and then “transported to something completely random.” That could be a theme park, exploring unfamiliar towns or seeing unusual animals.
Fantastic Face Paints
Will you be getting your face painted at Neurodiverse-city? Francesca Strachan is no stranger to working with the organisers of this event having been involved with a couple of events in the past. Francesca told THE MAG that she is "so excited to be joining the team again."
Let's find out more from Francesca about Fantastic Face Paints and why events like Neurodiverse-city are so important.
"I live in Brighton because I want my children to grow up in a city where the characteristics are diversity and acceptance, a city where we can be free to be whomever we are and whatever we want to be without question. To work events such as these encompasses everything that is important to me. My family are all neurodivergent as are the majority of my friends, I also teach countless neurodivergent children as part of my role as a teacher; it is ingrained in my life, so it seems only right that I am part of this wonderful day.
As a face painter, I am very aware that some adults and children with neurodiversity find it tricky to sit in my chair so I try really hard to adapt to the customers I have and make them feel relaxed and at ease. No one should ever be excluded from being able to take part because they can't keep still, or they find the paint on their face uncomfortable - it is my job to adapt and to offer alternatives that still allow them to be included.
I've worked hard over the years to come up with alternatives to face paints that still allow people to have a bit of sparkle, and I don't limit my work to faces, I quite often paint arms and hands which many people find much easier to manage.
I'm so excited to be doing this event. I can't wait to meet the wonderful rainbow of people who will come and sit in my chair on the 7th August. I'll make sure I have extra glitter and this year I will be offering festival hair, which is another addition that I'm hoping will appeal to anyone who may not want face paint.
I will be charging per person this year but, anything I earn will be going right back to the Grayce Eyre Foundation so I urge everyone to come and see me and get sparkled up, so we can try and raise as much as we can for this incredible charity."
Gloji
Are you looking to lose some weight? Gloji have teamed up with Brighton & Hove City Council to “give you free access to today’s best weight loss and healthy lifestyle programmes.” You can receive 12 weeks of digital support and this includes hundreds of mouth-watering recipes that “can help you change your life for better, for good.” The support on offer includes an unlimited online gym pass, and personal health mentor. They offer learning disability weight loss support and this lasts 12 weeks and is completely free. A designated health mentor will help you “move more, eat better and feel great.”
There is group support available that can be so useful as you share your experiences with others, make new friends and boost your motivation levels.
Family support is also an option at Gloji. Their aim is to “get your whole family moving more and eating better.” Help is also available for those of who are pregnant with their specialist pregnancy programme “supporting healthy weight management, from bump to new mum.”
Hand in Hand Holidays
Hand in Hand Holidays is run by Neil who has over 16 years experience of “running supported holidays” for autistic adults and intellectual or cognitive disabilities. They welcome anyone with an “adventurous spirit who may just need a helping hand to enjoy a safe and fun-filled holiday.”
Their aim is to see their customers “get out and see the world in a space where you’re free to be yourself.” Their holidays will also allow you to “travel confidence,” make “lasting friendships” and “above all, have fun.” They also have a holiday support team to ensure everyone "feels supported, respected and part of something special."
All their holidays include flights, excursions, meals and transport.” ATOL protection and secure payments via Protected Trust Service (PTS) ensure your money is safe, so that’s one worry less. I love the way their site says that "with Hand in Hand Holidays, you're not just booking a break; you're joining a community." Look out for more about this company in future editions.
The Outlook Foundation
Who are The Outlook Foundation? Let's find out more about them thanks to Ceiri who sent THE MAG the following information and the image seen above.
"The Outlook Foundation is a Brighton-based charity empowering adults with learning disabilities through safe, supportive homes, where they can learn the life skills they need to live as independently as they choose.
We will be at Neurodiverse-city celebrating the amazing personalities of the guys who choose to live with us, as well as showing anyone interested what life can be like at the Outlook Foundation."
Puzzle Bored
It's going to be a long day so a break or two may well be needed. A visit to Puzzle Bored at 27 New Road (directly opposite the Unitarian Church) is definitely a good idea.
Run by Mark, Puzzle Bored has three floors and really is a welcoming place for members of our community. Their site explains how they realised there was "a need for more quiet social spaces especially for the neurodivergent community and those that have noise sensitivity issues or just need a place of calm to relax and unwind."
The venue also holds several other events and workshops throughout the month. This includes BANG (Brighton Adult Neurodiversity Group) which meets on the first Friday of each month from 6pm to 8pm and for people aged 40+ with the next one on August 7. Admission to the venue is free and you can book up on their website. Food and drink is available and you have the opportunity to play board games, puzzles and games.
Other events include everything from chess to creative writing and a rather unique quiz night. Puzzle Bored is available for hire and also sells their own range of jigsaw puzzles.You can even try to see how many Brighton related words you can spot on the downstairs world search on the wall.
Speak Out Services
Speak Out has the aim of giving people with learning disabilities a voice. They believe that "people with learning disabilities should be heard and have the same rights, choice and control over their lives as everyone else.
Speak Out provides a range of advocacy services and community projects. This sees them work to enable them to communicate their views and wishes, uphold their rights and take an active part in their community. You can call them on 01273 421 921, email info@bhspeakout.org.uk or write to them at The Brighthelm Centre, North Road, Brighton, BN1 1YD.
Team Dominica
Team Dominica supports people who have learning disabilities and autism. They help them "gain meaningful employment and thrive in life." Previously having a cafe in Preston Road, they now run the North Star at 2-3 Pavilion Buildings. Brighton BN1 1EE. Adhoc Autistics Activity Group holds a weekly meet-up there every Wednesday from 11am to 1pm. The vision of Team Domenica is "for all people with learning disabilities and/or autism to be valued in the workplace, to thrive in life, and feel included as members of society." That is something they have achieved for over ten years via "personalised training and partnerships."
The Big Show
After all the excitement of visiting the many stalls at the Neurodiverse-city day event, there's even more to look forward to in the evening. There's a four-hour extravaganza at the Unitarian Church starting at 5pm.
The show will have everything with comedy from the Laughter Lounge to folk, rock and pop bands plus dance performances, a DJ and even some beatboxing. Tickets cost £15 ([plus a £1.17 booking fee)and this event is for those who are 18+. Who's going to be appearing? It's time to take a look at just what is in store at The Big Show.
Strenuous
Headlining The Big Show will be rock band
Strenuous. Get yourselves ready for a noisy and very entertaining performance.
Earlier this year, they performed at The Rock House event held in Brighton by Carousel.
Strenuous were formed six years ago and are a four-piece metal band which consists of disabled performers. Their lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Ryan told THE MAG what lies in store for those attending Neurodiverse-city.
"We in Strenuous are coming to the Unitarian Church in Brighton for Neurodiverse-City to unleash the most crushing music the learning-disabled community has ever experienced. With our own individual experiences being somewhere on the autistic spectrum and social matters playing a part in our songs, it’s only right that we bring it to this event that shows what that part of society has to share."
Daniel Wakeford
It was 16 years ago when
Daniel Wakeford first began creating music. That happened after he met musician and facilitator, Tom Cook. That led to Daniel being introduced to music projects that were run by the learning disability arts organisation, Carousel. They gave Daniel valuable support allowing him to start composing his own songs. He and Tom have been writing together now for over a decade and more than 60 songs have been composed.
With a songlist in place, Daniel began to play concerts in Brighton and London. 11 years ago, he headed to Stockholm in Sweden to take part in the finals of the European Song Competition. He performed his song ‘The Black of Lonely’ and was backed by a 21-piece orchestra.
Two years later, he was approached by Richard Phoenix from Constant Flux who funded and organised Daniel’s maiden UK tour. He also released a ten-track album called ‘The Songs of Gigs’ in June 2016. It was produced by Tom Cook and released through Carousel. To back him on his tour, the Daniel Wakeford Experience was formed. His new band included professional musicians who had previously given assistance to learning disability performers.
Those of you who have seen Channel 4’s ‘The Undateables’ will be familiar with Daniel. He has been on that show more times than anyone else. When he was shown performing on tour singing ‘Playboy Girls.’ that introduced his music to even more people.
Daniel continued to perform in the years that followed and in 2018, his second album, ‘That’s How I See It’ was released on his label Common Raven Records. To launch the album, he held an event at the i360. The livestream of that launch attracted over 15,000 views. The promotion of his new album also included an appearance on ‘Good Morning Britain.’
He has continued to tour and in 2021 was invited by chart-topping singer Sam Fender to appear at the ‘This is Tomorrow’ festival held in Newcastle.
2022 saw Daniel be involved with Mencap as a Myth Buster Ambassador and more TV and radio appearances followed. His third studio album ‘The Rock Pop Album’ came out in November 2022.
if you read the MAG EXTRA, you will know of my hyperfixation over Christmas. I will have to check out Daniel’s ‘Christmas Time for the Pantomime’ song released in 2024. More touring followed with his band and now you can see him at Neurodiverse-city on August 7.
Rainboy
It's already been an exciting year for
Rainboy. Not only has he met one of his idols Mel C, he appeared in the play 'Not Another Group Chat' which was a sell-out at the Brighton Fringe
Now he's appearing in another Grace Eyre event. THE MAG asked Rainboy exactly what he will be doing on August 7 and it looks like being a very busy day for him.
"Well at the event I will be helping out with some arts and crafts in the daytime part of the festival and then in the evening I shall be performing some of my own songs, some songs with my partner Gary [J&G] and also the both of us will be performing a song with Daniel Wakeford."
Rainboy went on to explain just why this is such an important event for the neurodiversity community in Brighton & Hove.
"I think it's important for people to be more aware of the different brain types we all have from being autistic or ADHD, dyslexia just being neurodiverse. Awareness and education is such an important thing, especially in this day and age."
Echo Performing Arts
Echo Performing Arts are going to be really busy at Neurodiverse-city. They told me that earlier in the day, they "will have a stall where we will be able to speak to people about our weekly sessions, give out our flyers and do some impromptu dancing with people who would like to join in." Sounds great fun, though I'm still never going to go on Strictly.
Then in the evening their Jazz Hands Dance Group will be performing Echo Performing Arts offer “creative opportunities for people with and without disabilities in Brighton & Hove.” The Jazz Hands Dance sessions are held every Wednesday at the Hangleton Community Centre. Their aim is to create “powerful creatives and fun performances” so we can expect plenty of that at Neurodiverse-city.
They have a big show ahead of them on November 8 when appearing at the Old Market Hove, more about that when details are confirmed.
Laughter Lounge
We all need a bit of laughter in our lives and The Big Show is set to kick off at 5pm with some hilarious comedians from the neurodivergent community.
This will include Darren Goodwin who will be the host for the comedy section of the show. He is described as "a high-energy, unapologetically queer comic" who brings "big camp energy and even bigger stories to the stage." He's someone I believe we will be writing about a lot more when THE MAG and THE MAG EXTRA expands its LGBTQ coverage this month.
Darren loves joking about the chaos of modern dating, what it is like to grow up gay and much more. He takes inspiration from classic comedians such as Joan Rivers (I'm still recovering from interviewing her) and Alan Carr. Darren is the creator of the Balls Deep with Laughter event that takes place each month at the Brunswick Pub.
Suzi Payton
Suzi Payton describes herself on her website as “a relentless optimist with a passion for personal development, pushing boundaries, self-acceptance, and helping others.” In addition to having ADHD, Suz also has mild Tourette’s syndrome and “a dash of OCD.”
Her favourite TV show is ‘Rainbow’ and now in her stand-up act, Suzi does an impression of George and Zippy. Will we hear that at Neurodiverse-city?
A book I believe we must surely review in THE MAG EXTRA is ‘Lost and Now Found’ which is “a guide to understanding and accepting yourself for late-discovered autistic adults.”
Suzi has a busy August lined up as she is also hosting ADHD - The Experience 8 - Take 2 on August 13 at The Brunswick, 1 Holland Road, Brighton BN3 1JF. It’s an evening of storytelling, comedy and talks by members of the neurodivergent community. Tickets cost £12 and can be purchased at this link.
Speakers scheduled to appear are Jess Nicks, Gemma Hentsch, David Gray Hammond (whose autism mental health conference gets underway the following day) and Lisa Kerr. The evening’s headliners will be Pearl and Dean, described as the most “heterosexual” couple in showbiz and Brighton Fringe award winners.
We’ll have more information about this in THE MAG which is due out towards the end of next week. Then there will be a review of the show in August’s absolutely packed MAG EXTRA.
Shelley Gates
Not everyone starts their career as a stand-up comedian. That’s definitely been the case for Shelley Gates who will be appearing at Neurodiverse-city. Previously. Shelley was an award–winning
balloon artist. Now her time is spent on stage making us laugh our heads off.
You may have seen Shelley earlier this year in the ‘Work-in-Progress’ show at the Brighton Fringe, alongside Hannah Brackenbury and Julie Jepson.
Dan Harding
Dan is certainly someone who gets around. He was born in Ireland but raised in Spain before moving to England. He is a previous winner of the Hastings Comedy Festival Newcomer Award. Dan has also won the South Coast Comedian of the year title.
Next Friday promises to be a very special day indeed. Hopefully as many members of our community as possible will be in attendance. We will have a full report of a very long day in our blogs due out in August.
Coming Soon
- First week of August - THE MAG with comprehensive listings and the number of new groups and events added is already in double figures. This will also include our new LGBTQ section.
- Third week of August - THE MAG EXTRA - jam packed with news, interviews, reviews and feature articles.
- Featured in the August edition of THE MAG EXTRA will be Neurodivergent Rebel, Melody Haze, Erin Ekins, Patience, It's a Superpower??. Hyperfixation of the month, Spider-Man v Demand Avoidance, YouTube links, social media section and more!!!
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