Athac exhibition brings six artists to Birmingham until September

Paintings, drawings, textiles, photography and digital pieces fill the Athac Creative Artists & Family Workshop Group Exhibition in Birmingham this summer. The display brings work by six learning disabled and autistic artists into Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, alongside art made through Athac’s family workshops.

The exhibition runs from 1 July to 30 September 2026 at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Chamberlain Square. It is intended for the general public and families, including learning disabled and autistic visitors. Audio description and a walkthrough video are available.

The supplied event information does not state daily opening times, an admission price, booking requirements or transport details. Birmingham Museums says current access and visitor information is available through its visitor channels.

Six artists working across five creative forms

The exhibition features Dylan Hayes, Mehar Khan, Renée Parkes, Rose Anderson, Ryan Choon and Safina Hector. Although their practices differ, their work draws on lived experience, imagination, nature and personal expression.

Visitors can expect several forms of art rather than a display built around one medium. Painting and drawing sit alongside textiles, photography and digital work, while pieces made during Athac’s family workshops broaden the exhibition beyond the six individual practices.

The artists have developed their work through Athac’s Creatives Step Up programme. Its support combines long-term mentoring with workshops, volunteering, exhibitions and practical placements. The programme also covers professional tasks such as selecting and presenting work, applying for opportunities, developing networks and building an online presence.

That individual approach is visible in the artists’ different routes. Ryan Choon has been experimenting with scale, composition and process as he works towards a solo exhibition. Mehar Khan has focused on selecting, framing, titling and presenting her work, while also volunteering at family workshops at Ort Gallery.

Safina Hector has developed her photography, exhibited work, entered competitions and taken volunteering roles with the National Trust. Renée Parkes has identified polymer clay and photography as central parts of her practice while building confidence through Athac’s family workshops.

Why the Birmingham setting changes the encounter

Athac is a Handsworth-based social enterprise supporting learning disabled and autistic children, young people and adults, together with their families and carers. Director Carol Reid established it in response to the limited cultural opportunities available to these communities in Handsworth, particularly for artists seeking professional development.

The organisation’s model starts with each artist’s ambitions, communication style, access needs and pace. Support may involve help with communication or travel, breaking a process into manageable stages, or having a mentor present during an unfamiliar experience. The same framework extends to Athac’s family programmes, which provide sensory, creative and cultural activities.

Presenting the work at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery places these artists inside a major cultural venue rather than in a programme separated from mainstream audiences. It also gives disabled visitors and families an opportunity to see artists with related lived experiences represented in a museum setting.

The display asks audiences to consider the work on its own terms: varied, personal practices connected by experiences of growing up in Handsworth, relationships with neurodivergence and learning disability, and an interest in art and nature as forms of expression, calm and connection.

Planning a visit before 30 September

The confirmed venue is Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery in Chamberlain Square, Birmingham, and the final scheduled day is 30 September 2026. Visitors who benefit from interpretive access can use the exhibition’s audio description and walkthrough video when exploring work by the six artists and Athac’s family workshop participants.

Source: Birmingham Museums Trust Stories