Visible is a project launched by Nansa in 2022, resulting in Norfolk’s first Neurodiversity Festival, held at The Forum (Norwich) in March 2023, again in August 2024, and returning in March 2026 (during neurodiversity celebration week).
The purpose of Visible is to promote the inclusion, advocacy, participation, accessibility, and awareness of individuals who may feel excluded, marginalised, or unsupported because of social, behavioural, and/or developmental differences.
Visible attempts to do this, quite simply, by initiating (and encouraging) ongoing conversations amongst those who might champion a more inclusive society, and by amplifying the voices of people with lived experience of neurodivergence.
Together, we can influence change countywide.
Together we can listen, and we can learn.
Together we can be heard, and we can be VISIBLE!
The term ‘neurodivergent’ can be used to describe a person whose brain functions differently than that of a ‘neurotypical’ person. Those who are neurodivergent will often have strengths, and challenges that differ from those of the majority.
Neurodivergence is defined by fundamental brain differences, and it is frequently attributed to diverse and varied diagnoses, including but not limited to, Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dyspraxia, and OCD.
Neurodivergent individuals can feel excluded, marginalised, or unsupported because of their social, behavioural, and/or developmental differences, but it is crucially important to recognise that this may not always be the case.
Like fingerprints, no two brains are the same, and our families, towns, schools, and workplaces are all subject to neurodiversity, in that they are made up of individuals who are neurodivergent, as well as those who are neurotypical.
First of all, the event offers opportunities for local agencies, charities, businesses and professionals who provide services for (or who are passionate about the inclusion of) neurodivergent individuals – to showcase their offer/service by having a stand in the Forum’s ‘Atrium’ during the event. If you or your business/charity wish to book a stand, click on the [Book a Stand] button below.
The Visible Festival also hosts some superb guest speakers offering presentations/talks on the subject of neurodiversity – these presentations are called ‘Visible Voices’ and they take place in the Forum’s ‘Auditorium’. The Visible Voices sessions are also recorded, and you can watch the presentations/talks from previous years by visiting the Visible Voices YouTube channel >HERE<
To find out what presentations/talks will be featured by Visible Voices at the festival this year, click on the [What’s On] button above. We recommend attending in person if you can, as all of our presenters offer opportunities for their live audience to ask questions at the end of their talk.
New for 2025/26 is the Visible Volunteering Project.
As part of (and leading up to) the 2026 Visible Festival, we’re proud to introduce the Visible Volunteering Project – a new initiative designed to empower neurodivergent young people aged 16–25 in Norfolk to explore, express, and take steps toward community volunteering.
This exciting new strand of the festival replaces the previous VIP (Visible Inclusion Partners) exhibition. While our VIPs shared powerful stories of lived experience in 2024, the Visible Volunteering Project invites participants to co-create those stories in real-time – supported through a series of inclusive workshops, peer mentoring, and creative exploration.
Participants will develop confidence, build self-advocacy skills, and design their own vision for how they can contribute to their communities. Their journeys will be celebrated in a co-curated gallery installation at The Forum during the festival – showcasing identity, voice, and volunteering potential.
This project has been made possible by the Get Involved Innovation Fund – a new funding initiative supporting local ideas that help more people experience the benefits of volunteering.
The Get Involved Innovation Fund is part of Volunteering for Health, a £10 million national programme funded by NHS England, NHS Charities Together, and CW+ (the charity for Chelsea and Westminster Hospital). The goal is to make volunteering more inclusive, particularly for people who experience unfair health inequalities.
The Norfolk and Waveney programme is a partnership between NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board, Norfolk County Council, Voluntary Norfolk, Community Action Norfolk, Community Action Suffolk, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, and the Institute for Volunteering Research at the University of East Anglia. Together, they’re working to ensure more people have the opportunity to take part in volunteering – and experience all the benefits it brings.
As a recipient of this funding, our Visible Volunteering Project will focus on making volunteering more accessible for young people who are neurodivergent and face unnecessary barriers to getting involved. The project offers a creative approach that will help participants to feel volunteering-ready, by boosting confidence, skills, and identifying any support they might need to get started.
We’re proud to be just one of the organisations in Norfolk to receive this support. The Visible Volunteering Project is our commitment to building a more inclusive future – one that celebrates difference, encourages participation, and makes volunteering a space for everyone.
Delivered in partnership with:
Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care System, Community Action Norfolk and Voluntary Norfolk
To find out more, or to express interest in this project, please click on the ‘LEARN MORE’ button below:
Visible Voices are a collection of video presentations/talks that have taken place at the Visible Festival itself. Check them out by visiting (and subscribing to) our ‘Visible Voices’ channel on YouTube:
