Doncaster artist with rare form of autism awarded Arts Council Grant

Imogen, aged 20, draws, paints, takes photographs, sculpts with clay and has been making art since being a little girl.

She’s produced so much work, she’s transformed rooms in her family home into her own personal artist’s studio.

Imogen has a rare form of autism which means she is mostly non-verbal; she expresses herself through her artwork and personal style with her signature make-up and brightly coloured dungarees.

Since 2018 Imogen has been supported by Doncaster arts organisation and magazine Doncopolitan, after her parents turned to the organisation for support.Since then, she has been working with artist, curator and trainee Art Psychotherapist who has been supporting Imogen to develop her art.

The project will give Imogen the opportunity to work with a group of creatives to develop her work in different disciplines including film, animation, photograph, and textiles, like other artists her age that would have taken the traditional route of going off to study art at university.Imogen gets the chance to make art and collaborate with a creative community in the same way other artist her age would.

In April there will be an exhibition of Imogen’s artwork at the D31 Gallery in conjunction with Autism Awareness month.

Project curator Rachel Horne said: “Imogen is a true creative force, she explores themes and topics she is passionate about, she works on a micro and macro scale, producingtiny artworks and large-scale pieces in 2D and 3D.

"Because Imogen is non-verbal, I’m helping to translating her art the wider public. This means, supporting her to exhibit, archive and marketing Imogen’s work to a professional standard.”

The Arts Council England is funded by the national lottery and the government and is focused on developing creativity across the country.Their strategic vision “Let’s Create” means the organisation wanted to see England become a country in which the creativity of each of us isvalued and given the chance to flourish.

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