About The Project
Divergently Together uses STEM technologies to facilitate disabled and neurodivergent communities to participate in climate action.
Divergently Together supports a fair and just transition to a sustainable future. It challenges stigma by showing that people with lived experience of disability have valuable skills for climate action. These include resilience, problem-solving, specialist knowledge, and creative ways of thinking. However, disabled people are still often left out of climate action and decision-making.
The Context
Climate change is one of the biggest challenges we face today, and it affects disabled people more than others. Many disabled people do not have access to clear and accessible information. They may be at greater risk during extreme weather events. Some people are also more affected by heat because of the side effects of medication. Disabled people often have limited access to funding for climate action projects. These are examples of eco-ableism that disabled people regularly experience.
Laying Foundations
At the beginning of the project we concentrated on the wide spectrum of disability across four locations.
Waterford, Cavan and Fermanagh Omagh, Inis Oírr, Galway, Laois.
From urban perspectives in Waterford to rural insights in Cavan and the unique challenges of island life on Inis Oírr, each location has contributed vital understandings about the intersection of climate change and disability.
Here in these locations, we brought the artwork ‘Augmented Body, Altered Mind’ by AlanJames Burns. The artwork examines correlations between the natural world, neurology, philosophy, and neurodivergence. Immersed in a projected environment and multi-channel soundscape, visitors co-create the artwork in real-time by wearing a brain-sensing headset that detects electric signals generated by different brain waves. By doing so, audiences control evocative visuals reminiscent of environmental and neurological imagery and patterns.
Collaboration and community-building
We then created a cross-border community of neurodivergent individuals from Cavan and Fermanagh/Omagh, bringing them together for a series of collaborative workshops and events.
The project is led by artist AlanJames Burns with the Divergently Together team and co-created with local collaborators Christopher David Schuette, Ciara O’Conor Walsh, Clare Martyn, Julie Anna Richmond, Lorraine Montague, Michelle Harton and Niamh Mc Philips. Through creative workshops and discussions, participants co-design responses to the climate emergency from their own neurodivergent experiences and perspectives.
Our Goal
Divergently Together bridges the gap between diverse communities affected by climate change and local authorities who shape policy. By working directly with neurodivergent participants and policymakers, the project builds mutual understanding and equips decision-makers with tools for accessible, inclusive communication. This collaboration ensures climate strategies are grounded in lived experience and better reflect the needs of as many people as possible.
Ultimately, Divergently Together aims to embed neurodivergent voices in climate action and leave a lasting impact.
As a neurodivergent artist, I see first-hand the power of thinking differently. It’s through imagination, creativity and coming together as a community that we can shape a more inclusive and sustainable future.
