Flow Observatorium: Report of 2024 - 2025
This year has been challenging, exciting and creatively busy. We have not only seen a move to new premises but an increase in awareness we exist, quality reputation, participant numbers and cooperation with people and organisations. We also initiated a reorganisation of trustees and recognise being funded as a priority.
Our priority of focus has been consolidating last year’s aims of raising Autistic people’s wellbeing, tackling their social isolation, especially developing and concentrating on building up people’s sense of belonging, companionship, safety and skills, by raising understanding and awareness through developing our ‘KoCreate
We started April 2024 with another collaboration with ‘Seekers Creates’ (who work in community arts). Participants were excited to visit the Mary Rose museum and work on a canvas to be shown later in the year at Portsmouths ‘Comecon’ and a Mary Rose event. ‘Hatch the dog’ and tiny dice were 2 of the favourites exhibits seen and learnt about. We have a continuing relationship with ‘Seekers Creates’ who have been supporting our participants and Artistic Director in developing project ideas and skills. In May participants joined in, supporting the canvas’s public showing in their interactive room at ‘Comicon’ at Portsmouth Guildhall.
In July, our hosts, ‘Room One’, having outgrown their space, moved to a new venue in Somerstown Ward at the beginning of July. We showcased KoCreate participants work including Lego at the opening event. Guests included PCC members and our local MP. We took time to speak with him arranging a series of regular roundtables to inform him of Autistic people’s lives, struggles and qualities. Our initial meeting resulting in action taken by our MP concerning diagnosis waiting times in the area. Flow Observatorium aims to not only support autistic people, raise transferable skills but advocate, campaign for better support and understanding within local organisations and statutory services. We recognised as ND ourselves places of creative safety are needed, often seemingly unavailable elsewhere. KoCreate has literally saved people’s lives by providing this service, breaking isolation and this has been attested to by PACF.
We had an outdoors stand at Somerstown festival in June to both support this initiative, be in the community and raise awareness of KoCreate and understanding of neurodivergent people. We made some good contacts with the public and Councillors for the area.
In 2024/25 we welcomed new participants as Room One grew, primarily through word of mouth, exhibiting and social prescribing to Room One. (a unique service, initiated, run by and for ND people in Portsmouth, under the umbrella of PCC Neurodivergent Transition Service (who generously provided KoCreate with a materials grant) and PACF. We are proud to be allied with this unique service.
In March 2025 we were again invited to display Flow and KoCreate at the Lord Mayors ND event. We had been consulted about the previous year’s events and participants fed back what had worked and what needed to change. We displayed information about Flow and KoCreate, artwork, Lego and had good conversations with visitors.
KoCreate’s successful format where people may bring their own work, join in with occasional projects, share within the group or just come to sit in a ‘safe space’ has now become established. Some have become regulars, some just engaging when they are able, this is always their choice, not a requirement to attend. We often give creative tips and hints or introduce new ideas mostly one-toone basis and encourage experimentation and collaboration.
Participants often share their life issues with others whilst creating, offering support and solutions to meet individual needs. Our core intention is to raise Autistic people’s quality of life through support and creativity underpins KoCreate’s ethos. We continue with our core advisory group to decide the direction that KoCreate takes, the
Jon continues as our Artist Director and KoCreate peer workshop facilitator. He is looking at funding streams, making contacts to support for bids in 2026. His priority is raising participants skills, belonging and well-being as well as developing and investing in skills, KoCreate’s legacy and sustainability. He continued working remotely part-time as a research associate at a Scottish university, studying trauma and creativity in Autistic People and this was completed March 2025, with a research survey and a proposed card sort task to support neurodivergent people at mental health interviews. He works freelance on artwork, mental health and international creativity research projects including as part of a team designing a Lego ‘fortnite’ game for ND kids.
Personally his year has been tough with his father in law’s illness and passing plus lack of practical and mental health support. Obtaining an ADHD diagnosis privately after 2 yrs wait, he was able to feed this and KoCreate participants experiences into a NHS working group consulting on the effects of long waiting times. He sees, even though now unfunded, KoCreate’s peer creative endeavours supporting ND people in Portsmouth as his priority.
Key: ND - Neurodivergent. PCC - Portsmouth City Council. PACF - Portsmouth Autism Community Forum.
Flow Observatorium Portsmouth Guildhall Guildhall Square Portsmouth PO1 2AB Registered Charity Number: 1177328. https:// flowobsad.wixsite.com/flow-observatorium/resources
Image descriptions top to bottom:
Heading image:
- Flow logo 2: Alt text: The word flow spelt out in driftwood and shells.
Page one images. Alt text: Set out on the left-hand side in a column.
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The ‘Seekers Creates’ collaboration canvas coloured for the MaryRose Project coloured in April and May 2024 photographed close up hanging at Comicon, alt text: A large flat canvas with black and white line drawings of stylised letters to be coloured, saying ‘pop goes the Mary Rose’
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‘Seekers create’ team, Steve and Claire at Comicon May 2024, Portsmouth. KoCreate participants helped them over the weekend. alt text: a room covered in white boards to be drawn on, one wall lined with decorated windows, Claire sat on floor and Steve standing beside a white box waist height. A hand drawn picture of crows plus the Mary Rose canvas hung on the wall behind them. Some art materials scattered on the floor
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Table display of Lego and artwork at the opening of Room One July 26th 2024. The new space for Neurodivergent people in Portsmouth and KoCreate’s new home. alt text: The main table, light wood top with various Lego sets and KoCreate participants artwork. Some are sat at the table but only hands showing.
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KoCreate display at Somerstown community event July 2024. alt text: A table resting on a cobbled bay, outdoors in the sun. With participants artwork displayed, some framed, some printed digital images plus KoCreate information including a poster and stickers.
Page two images. Alt text: Set out on the left-hand side in a column.
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The Flow Observatorium and KoCreate stand at the Lord Mayors Neurodivergent Event March 2025. alt text: A table covered with black and white maps plus various Lego sets and items made by participants placed on top, in front of 2 KoCreate posters and large mirror.
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Two examples of KoCreate participants artwork. 1: Alt text: A black and white pencil drawing of a girl resting her face in one hand looking wistful. 2. Alt text: An outline, portrait face with wrinkles and partitioned eyes, drawn in ink.
Images by the contact details. Alt text: one on the left hand side, one on the right.
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Flow logo 1. alt text: A black box and a white box with black outline containing the letters and numbers Fl 33 and Ob 79 in the style of the periodic table.
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KoCreate draft logo. alt text: A grey square with a black outline with KC and number 1 above and ND below in the style of the periodic table.
Citation for “ KoCreate Collective: Flow Observatorium, together with Portsmouth Autism Community Forum (PACF), Room One, set up KoCreate; running free creative sessions for Neurodivergent Creatives, both online nationally and face-to-face in Portsmouth facilitated by Autistic Artist Jon Adams. The collective meet every week and as well as self directed projects have collaborated with organisations such as Royal Collage of Arts, Portsmouth Creates and actively advocate for understanding of Neurodivergent Creatives holistically”
Table 1
| Flow Observatorium |
Date on bank statement |
Income | Out going | Cheque no | Bank cost | Start balance | End balance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounts April 2024 to end March 2025 |
March 31st 2024 £1276.26 |
|||||||
| April 2024 | Bank charges | 21st | £5.00 | |||||
| May 2024 | Bank charges | 21st | £5.00 | |||||
| June 2024 | Bank charges | 21st | £5.00 | |||||
| July 2004 | Bank charges | 21st | £5.00 | |||||
| Admin payment to LW | 26th | £375.00 | 100068 | |||||
| August 2024 | Payment JA KoCreate (fnal Council funding) inc £42 materials refund |
19th | £542.00 | 100070 | ||||
| Bank charges | 21st | £5.40 | ||||||
| September 2024 | Bank charges | 21st | £5.40 | |||||
| October 2024 | Bank charges | 21st | £5.00 | |||||
| November 2024 | Bank charges | 21st | £5.00 | |||||
| December 2024 | Bank charges | 21st | £5.00 | |||||
| January 2025 | Bank charges | 21st | £5.00 | |||||
| February 2025 | Bank charges | 21st | £5.00 | |||||
| March 2025 | Zoom renewal reimbursement to LW | 18th | £155.88 | 100072 | ||||
| Bank charges | 21st | £5.00 | ||||||
| March 31st 2025 £142.58 |
||||||||
| Totals | 0 | £1072.88 | £60.80 | |||||
| Signed by Chair of trustees. |
Signature: | Note 1: Cheque Numbers: 71, 69. were not used due to errors. |
Note 2: Bank charges ceased in autumn 2025 |
Note 3: Starting fgure £1276.26 less outgoings of £1133.68 = end of year fgure of £142.58 |