Mind the Gap Project

Have you ever felt stressed by something so small that others barely notice?

For many neurodivergent people, everyday life can be full of moments like these — moments that seem insignificant to others but can trigger stress and overwhelm. It might be things as simple as walking out of their doorway: being surrounded by traffic noise, flashing lights and people passing by. When the sensory overload and emotions collide, everything just turns into a whirlwind of confusion, agitation and exhaustion.

For Alison, Mind the Gap grew from a lifetime of noticing what others might overlook. As a neurodivergent artist and mother of two autistic sons, she’s deeply familiar with the persistent challenges that come with navigating a world not built with neurodivergent in mind. Over the years, her work has often been shaped by these experiences — whether through creating sensory workshops, collaborating with neurodivergent communities, or exploring the often unspoken aspects of neurodivergence in her arts.

Mind the Gap is her way of bringing these moments into focus. Rather than offering solutions, the project asks you to slow down, notice, and step into the sensory and emotional world of someone navigating these invisible hurdles on a daily basis. It’s an invitation to look closer, feel deeper, and rethink what it means to move through the world.

  • Neurodivergent overwhelm is when your brain and senses take in more information than they can comfortably handle — and it happens more easily for some people whose brains work differently, such as autistic, ADHD, or dyslexic individuals.

  • Neurodivergent overwhelm happens when the brain is pushed beyond its comfortable limits — either by too much stimulation or too little.

    For some, it’s triggered by loud noises, bright lights, constant conversation, or sudden changes. For others, it can come from a lack of stimulation, like long periods of stillness, silence, or repetitive tasks that leave the mind restless.

    Either way, it can make neurodivergent people feel drained and difficult to focus, even the simple tasks then become exhausting and unbearable.

The exhibitions

From April to October 2024, Alison worked closely with neurodivergent organisations across the UK, delivering sensory workshops to neurodivergent individuals and gathering intimate conversations about their experiences of overwhelm.

In February 2025, Mind the Gap began its exhibition journey, debuting as an immersive experience at SEESAW Space in Manchester. The opening night was especially moving. Many participants from the Liverpool and Manchester workshops turned up, delighted to see their collaborative creations transformed into delicate art pieces. Some settled onto the cushions to talk, while Moollonkyen’s atmospheric sound score and a specially commissioned short film by Michael Mui set the tone for the evening.

From the ceiling, silken fabric floated gently, catching the light. Each one bearing a personal mark of what “overwhelm” means to the neurodivergent individuals who took part — turning private experiences into a shared, visible landscape. Among them were Alison’s recurring lotus flowers — a motif symbolising the resilience and strength of the individuals as they rise through the mud of overwhelm toward light and clarity.

At the opening night, artist Bettina Fung presented a live performance created in direct response to Alison’s artworks, which translates the emotions and tensions within Mind the Gap into movements, offering a layered interpretation that deepened the audience’s experience with the exhibition.

“Mind the Gap is an exceptional example of how art can foster awareness and connection, leaving visitors with a deeper appreciation of autism and the richness of neurodivergent perspectives.”
— Exhibition Review from Mia Levy-Barnett

The Reg Tags

After closing at SEESAW Space in April 2025, Mind the Gap returned to London, opening its doors at Westminster Reference Library. The exhibition was thoughtfully reimagined to fit the character and intimacy of the library setting.

Among the silk drapes, visitors will again find the familiar Red Tags — a recurring element in Alison’s work since 2015. Over the years, these tags have gathered countless stories of struggle, resilience, and reflection. In this iteration, they continue to evolve, inviting new voices and offering a space for visitors to share their own thoughts and experiences.

“...Very calming and motherly, felt like going home rather than an exhibition.”
— A review for Mind the Gap private viewing at Museum of the Home

Stepping Through the Doorway

In August 2025, Mind the Gap arrives at the Museum of the Home for its final exhibition. In keeping with the Museum’s ethos, this iteration focuses on the moment of leaving home — often a pivotal and overwhelming experience for a neurodivergent person.

Within the home, there is safety, comfort, and predictability. But crossing the threshold into the outside world can feel uncertain, even frightening. This exhibition seeks to capture that emotional journey of stepping through the ‘doorway.’ By placing this experience at the heart of the exhibition, we invite visitors to consider the doorway not just as a physical passage, but as a metaphor for transition, vulnerability, and possibility.

At the opening ceremony, curator Celina Loh joins Alison for an intimate conversation about how their relationship evolved over the course of the project, how they navigated differences and find common ground, and how they supported and held space for each other throughout the process. Together, they reflect on the personal and creative journey that shaped this final iteration of Mind the Gap.

 
 

Meet the Crew

Mind the Gap exists because of the incredible people behind it. Since the project began in April 2024, we’ve worked side by side — from setting up workshops to the final exhibition installation. This journey could not have happened without the creativity, dedication, and support of everyone involved. I’m truly grateful to each person who stood with me through this process. Beyond creating something meaningful together, I’m thankful that this collaboration has also grown into lasting friendships.

Acknowledgements from Alison

Mind the Gap was made possible with full funding from Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grants. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the neurodivergent organisations and individuals who generously allowed me to run workshops and contributed their invaluable conversations and creations.

  • Studio KIND, Devon

  • ESEA Contemporary, Manchester

  • Autism in Motion, Liverpool

  • Markfield Centre, London

  • Autism Hub, London

  • Camden Disability, London

  • Lauderdale House, London

  • Hackney Chinese, London

  • SEESEW Space, Manchester

  • Westminster Reference Library, London

  • Museum of the Home, London

As Mind the Gap comes to a close with this final exhibition, I find myself looking back on what has been a deeply humbling journey. What began in 2024 as a series of workshops has grown into a space of dialogue, discovery, and resilience. Along the way, I have been reminded again and again of the courage it takes to share one’s story, and of the strength that lies in community and collaboration.

This project has taught me that the idea of “home” is never fixed — for some it is a place of safety, for others a site of struggle, and for many it is both at once. To leave home, to cross a threshold, is to carry with us both vulnerability and possibility. Through the voices of neurodivergent individuals, parents, and carers, it invites us to think about how environments can shape our sense of belonging, and how important it is to create spaces that allow difference to be seen.

In the end, Mind the Gap is less about closing a project than it is about opening space — for dialogue, for recognition, and for understanding.