Inclusive Decision Making at Artbox

At Artbox London, equity and inclusion are at the heart of everything we do. As a disability organisation, we recognise that learning disabled and autistic people—our primary beneficiaries—often face overlapping forms of exclusion. Many of our artists also belong to communities that are underrepresented across race, gender, and other protected characteristics. We are committed to creating a space where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued.

Artist-Led

Artbox London now works with almost 80 learning disabled and autistic artists, each with their own needs, ambitions, and ways of communicating. As our community continues to grow, we are committed to investing in structures that ensure every artist’s perspective is heard or seen.

Artbox has always prided itself on being artist-led—listening to our artists and their support networks at every step of the way. As both our artist and staff communities grow, we recognise the need to develop a sustainable, inclusive process that ensures all voices are included in shaping the direction of our work.

Artbox is supported by a board of trustees who meet 4-6 times a year. Alongside the Co-directors, they ensure the organisation remains aligned with its aims and objectives, while also looking at how we can grow and develop high-quality opportunities for our artists. Their leadership supports our commitment to building an inclusive, responsive, and ambitious organisation.

Empowering Artists to Lead

We believe that those most affected by decisions should be at the centre of making them. Back in 2023 we launched our Artist Advisory Group—to give our artists a stronger voice in shaping our programmes. While this group was empowering for some, we also recognised the need to remove barriers to participation, including those related to meeting formats, accessibility, and representation.

We’re now embedding a Kaizen approach to decision-making: small, continuous improvements guided by regular, flexible feedback. This means more ways for artists to contribute—whether through visual aids, simple surveys, structured conversations, or observation.

By placing artists’ voices at the core of how we operate, we are better able to reflect the lived experience of neurodivergent people, empower individuals to advocate for their own needs, and deliver a service that is truly shaped by the community it serves.