Arusa Qureshi talks to Kirstin Abraham about facilitating multi-sensory workshops for neurodivergent families in the outdoors.

Kirstin Abraham’s artistic journey has taken her from fine art photography to community arts, and now, into the world of immersive, sensory-based experiences. Through her work, she crafts creative spaces for families – particularly those with children who have disabilities, profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD), or additional support needs (ASN).

“I like to create little pockets of time where families can be together in a creative way,” she explains. “Even if it’s just for 10 minutes, it’s a kind of creative escapism.”

Her passion for sensory-based work is deeply personal. As a neurodivergent person and a mother of an autistic child, Abraham understands the complexities of family dynamics. “Having my son has made me more aware of how complex family life can be, especially when a child needs extra support. It affects sibling relationships, mental health – everything.”

As one of IAP’s Sensory Collective artists, Abraham has been focusing on the sensory potential of nature, moving away from the conventional plastic-filled sensory rooms. Within this, she has explored how elements like wind, fire, earth, metal, and water can aid sensory regulation. One of her most ambitious projects involved wild swimming sessions for families, even in the depths of winter.

“I did wild swimming with families in the middle of November,” she says. “It’s funny to think that anyone actually wanted to do it, but two families came along, and we did it through all the seasons.”

One of Abraham’s most profound takeaways from her work has been the effect of wild swimming, especially on neurodivergent families. “Some families can’t access the outdoors in the summer because public parks are too busy, and winter is often when they feel most comfortable outside,” she explains.

Families reported that after swimming, typically complex and challenging family dynamics felt calmer and more connected. “It just proves how powerful nature and water can be. It’s not just about ‘sensory play’ in the usual sense – it’s about deepening our understanding of how sensory experiences impact well-being and our mental health and our regulation.”

This work has allowed Abraham to develop her vision of a Sensory Island – an interactive play space designed for neurodivergent families, often, but not always, consisting of both neurodivergent children and neurodivergent parent/s. The emphasis is on connection and wellbeing within the family dynamic, as opposed to just the individual, which isn’t always highlighted in similar settings.  “I don’t just mean social connection,” she explains of the project, which is based on Tod Island at Lochore Meadows in Fife. “Neurodivergent people connect in many ways – through objects, sensory input, and different experiences. The island will be a space where families can engage in ways that work for them.”

In addition to her research on the Sensory Island project, Abraham has also been collaborating with composer Shiori Usui on a music project at an ASN school in Dundee, which involves performances in a swimming pool. Her role has been to help Usui facilitate sessions and to ensure sensory accessibility in a way that feels natural and engaging.

“Access has kind of become my thing,” she says. “Not in a clunky, tick-box way, but in a creative way. We’ve been working with things like ice in the warm pool to explore different sensory experiences. There’s something magical about being in water – it instantly calms the nervous system.”

Her past experience, for example working as the Access Projects Officer at Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, has helped to inform much of her current work around access. “Going to events and performances as a neurodivergent person, and with my family always had an element of stress and anxiety surrounding it. Mostly due to the inconsistent access provisions, spaces and locations from venue to venue, for various different reasons. I realised that if you get the environment right first – green spaces, blue spaces – it makes a huge difference. It calms people down, and once that happens, they can digest and engage more fully.”

When Abraham joined IAP, she was drawn to its commitment to creative access. “What I loved was the freedom to explore ideas without immediate limitations,” she recalls. “They told me, ‘Dream big, don’t put any limits on what you want to do, and we’ll work our way back from there.’ That was so refreshing.”

Many arts projects struggle due to short-term contracts and a lack of time to properly develop access initiatives. “With IAP, I finally had the headspace to focus on making access creative,” she says. “It’s been a really lovely experience, just to feel valued for having time to research. This kind of work takes a lot of time, and usually people don’t have the time. A lot of access projects fail because they just aren’t lucky enough to have that.”

Looking ahead, Abraham is determined to push her work further. “I want to explore sensory access in a way that moves beyond basic provision. Right now, I’m really into designing creative sensory seating for venues and public spaces, anything that will encourage people to be present and take on what’s happening in that environment. I think that’s half the battle; if you get your environment right, then I think that great things can happen and people can connect.”

She is particularly focused on creating opportunities for neurodivergent families, not just children, which links to her goals with the Sensory Island project. “There’s a lot of work out there for autistic children, but not much for entire families. Quite often, neurodivergent parents and children can have access clashes and sensory clashes – for example, if my son is really loud, I might feel overwhelmed by the noise. Finding creative ways to support that dynamic is key.”

Another gap she hopes to fill is sensory experiences for autistic teenagers. “Once kids hit 10 or 11, sensory activities often feel ‘babyish.’ But they still need high-quality creative engagement. There’s just not much out there for them.”

For Abraham, making creative experiences accessible isn’t just important – it’s essential. “Everyone should have the chance to engage with creativity in a way that suits them. I know you can never make something purely accessible for everybody, because access needs change hourly, daily, weekly for people. But I think you still have to keep trying. And there needs to be a variety of things, so people can choose what’s good for them and good for their mental health, because at the minute, there’s not really a lot of choice for people.”

She believes that change will come when more artists and organisations genuinely care about access. “Being disabled isn’t new – it’s always been part of the world. My dad has cerebral palsy, my mum has a visual impairment, my brother’s autistic, my son’s autistic, and I have ADHD. We have a very colourful, diverse background. Even when I was little, I just didn’t want anyone to ever feel left out, because why should anyone feel left out?”

“As a kid, I was really shy, and making things was how I coped,” she continues. “Everyone should have that opportunity. Creativity is calming – it irons things out in your head and regulates you. That’s why this work is so important, but even more so for children with disabilities or who are autistic and maybe haven’t got that voice to be able to say what they like or what they need.”

The Sensory Island project is just one example of how Abraham has been able to use her skills and experiences to dream big and work on something that could be revolutionary in the world of access. But with a growing commitment to designing inclusive environments in all areas of her practice, Abraham is proving that accessibility can be more than an afterthought – it can be the foundation of truly transformative creative experiences.

Arusa Qureshi is a writer, editor and music programmer based in Edinburgh. She is the current Editor of Fest and the former Editor of The List and writes mostly about music, most recently Flip the Script – a book about women in UK hip hop, published by 404 Ink. Her work has appeared in the Scotsman, Clash, the Guardian, GoldFlakePaint, Time Out, the Quietus, NME and more. She chairs the board of the Scottish Music Centre, sits on the board of the Music Venue Trust and is the co-curator of the award-winning Amplifi series at Edinburgh’s Queens Hall.  arusaqureshi.com

All photography by Kat Gollock