Explore inclusivity in creative spaces with our expert speakers and workshops. Discover how to create neuro-inclusive and equitable environments that foster belonging and innovation. Learn about the healing power of arts practice in supporting trauma and integrating creative approaches into your organisational culture. Join us to gain valuable insights and practical tools from leaders in the field. 

Keynote Speakers – Natasya Jones & Anton Ashcroft
Divergthinking - Great brains don’t think alike

DivergenThinking educates everyone on how to create a neuro-inclusive, equitable and inclusive world, where everyone belongs. They challenge the 'norm' because the norm doesn't exist and help organisations improve productivity and innovation through strengths based leadership.

Natasya Jones, Co-Founder of DivergenThinking, leverages 25 years of learning and development experience and her personal diagnoses of ADHD and dyslexia to create opportunities for the neurodiverse to thrive. She offers products and services to support managers, recruiters, and leaders in building inclusive, psychologically safe workplaces. Natasya has facilitated wellness retreats, coached and mentored individuals and groups, and led change and communication projects. She holds a certificate in international coaching from Illume and has completed training in facilitation, mindfulness, and social skills.

Anton Ashcroft, Co-Founder of DivergenThinking, is a forensic psychologist who has worked with the UK prison service and Leicester Drug and Alcohol services. He became an independent consultant developing drug rehab programmes, conducting assessments, and working with Trauma Psychological Services. For the last 12 years in NZ, he has worked as a senior psychologist with the department of corrections and as an independent consultant, focusing on adult sex offender treatment and prison-based drug interventions. Anton also supervises prison psychologists, provides neuroscience-focused leadership training, and supports the SAFE network. Recently, he has focused on linking effective leadership to the neuro-diverse workforce.

Workshop - Natasya Jones & Anton Ashcroft
DivergenThinking – Using the nQuadrant Card Deck as a coaching skill 

This workshop focuses on how your organisation can build a neuro-inclusive environment. The nQuadrant Card Deck is effective for: Identifying individual motivational drivers and strengths, ensuring there are a range of nQuadrants across the team for diversity of thought and helping reduce team conflict when we get each other better.

Workshop – Lauren Hughes, Nicky Campbell, Louise Pryde
Creative practice as a tool for supporting trauma. 

This workshop will briefly cover the neuroscience of trauma, exploring howarts practice and creative spaces can contribute to the stabilisation, exploration, and integration of trauma. It will introduce various models used in creative arts therapy and simple tools that can be incorporated into the culture of a creative space. The workshop includes both theory and art-making.

Lauren Hughes grew up dancing and worked in professional performing arts management in Auckland for many years. After moving to rural Waikato in 2005 and having three children, she rediscovered the healing power of play. She trained as a Creative Arts Therapist and collaborated with Te Kauwhata Community House to launch the Toi Ako creative space, providing arts experiences for social, artistic, and wellbeing outcomes. In 2023, she launched her private practice, Gossamer Wings Creative Arts Therapy. Lauren sees the legacy of trauma daily and believes in the arts' ability to meet clients in a trauma-informed way. 

Nicky Campbell has been an Art Tutor at the Creative Space, Te Ara Korowai (Kapiti Coast) since 2020, while completing a Master's in Creative Arts Therapy (Hons). Since 2023, she has worked as an Arts Therapist under Te Whatu Ora, focusing on Acute Inpatient and Forensic Services within Wellington, Kenepuru, and Ratonga-Rua-O-Porirua Hospitals. In addition to her work in the public sector, she also maintains a private practice and continues her personal creative endeavours. Walking alongside Tangata Whaiora within crisis care and witnessing their journeys into creative connection within the community is a deeply rewarding aspect of her mahi within MHAIDS. Nicky graduated from Elam Art School with a BFA in Sculpture in 2003 and initially worked as a Fine Art Technician before transitioning into the Film Industry in New Zealand and Australia, where she contributed to the Art Department.

Louise Pryde is a creative therapist with a strong foundation in both counselling and arts therapy. She holds a Master’s in Creative Arts Therapy (Clinical), a Bachelor of Counselling specialising in Narrative and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and a Bachelor of Teaching (Primary).

Louise is a registered counsellor with several professional organisations, including ANZACATA, the New Zealand Association of Counselling, and ACC for Sensitive Claims. She is also a registered counsellor and arts therapist with I AM HOPE and WINZ, demonstrating her commitment to providing accessible and supportive care to her clients.

Workshop – Trish Gledhill 
Opportunities to be trauma informed in creative spaces

Creative spaces offer endless opportunities for people to enhance their creative potential and to foster healing from harm, but previous trauma experiences can mean that these opportunities are sometimes challenging. This workshop introduces opportunities to remove many of these obstacles to participation by intentionally applying trauma informed approaches within creative environments. Non specialist approaches are explored to create safe, inclusive environments where people can participate to their potential.

As a registered Occupational Therapist, Trish has held several practice and leadership roles within education, mental health and addictions, in social service sectors in both Australia and Aotearoa. Trish holds a particular interest in trauma - informed and resilience-based practices and a keen enthusiast for the use of creative arts in promoting wellbeing. Trish is the Programme lead at Te Pou for Let’s get real, the capability framework for anyone in health working with people and their whānau with mental health and addiction challenges. This role includes promoting trauma informed approaches as a  key component of the framework.