Disabled artists mid-process in a paint-spattered studio: a wheelchair user working at an adapted pottery wheel, a Deaf performer signing to a collaborator, someone adjusting a camera rig with a mouth stick. Studio light falls unevenly, laughter caught between frames.

London · Est. 2019

The work doesn't need your permission.

Atelier is a collective staging exhibitions, workshops, and live performances where disabled artists hold the chisel, the mic, the camera — and every other tool that matters.

Reserve Your SeatBring Your Group

We ask about your access needs before anything else.

The Work

From studio to stage —
an entire season in one scroll.

Black and white photo of a wheelchair user in an art gallery, looking at a painting hung too high on the wall

What most galleries call "inclusive."

The Way It Was
"Every application asked me to explain my condition before my concept."
— Priya Chandrasekhar, sculptor
Empty gallery with a single spotlight on a generic inspirational poster, sterile and unwelcoming

Stock photography of disability. Not one artist involved in making it.

The Way It Was

The Way It Was

1 in 5

people in the UK are disabled

Less than 0.3% of major gallery commissions went to disabled artists in 2023.

Close-up of hands covered in clay at an adapted pottery wheel, wheel controls modified for hand-use

Farrukh Nazarov, wheel-throwing at our Bermondsey studio. The kick-wheel was adapted in-house.

What Changes Here
"First time I walked into a studio and no one asked what was wrong with me."
— Siobhán Ó Briain, performance artist
Deaf performer signing across a paint-spattered studio floor to a collaborator, both mid-movement in a choreographed exchange

Rehearsal documentation, BSL-integrated performance, 2025.

What Changes Here
Artist adjusting a camera rig with a mouth stick, framing a shot in a sun-lit studio

Amara Osei-Bonsu, cinematographer. The mouth-stick rig was designed by Amara herself.

What Changes Here
"The access map arrived before the ticket confirmation. That was the moment I knew."
— Tomás Reilly, attendee & access coordinator

Upcoming Workshop

Adapted Printmaking

6-week course · Shoreditch · Starts 14 March 2026

3 spaces leftReserve →
Packed gallery opening night with diverse crowd, sold-out sign at the entrance, warm gallery lighting

"Bodies in Motion" — sold out in 48 hours. Barbican, October 2025.

What Gets Made

What Gets Made

94%

of attendees rated access "excellent"

Across 31 events in 2025. 2,800+ seats filled.

Artist receiving award on stage, audience applauding, celebratory atmosphere

Arts Council England Equality Award, 2025. Collected by collective members.

What Gets Made
"Atelier didn't make space for disabled artists. They built the space from scratch."
— The Guardian, April 2025

Reserve Your Seat

Pick your event,
tell us what you need.

We ask about access requirements early — not as an afterthought, as a given. Every confirmed booking includes a downloadable access map.

Choose your event

We ask this first. Your access needs shape how we prepare the space.

Your confirmation email includes a downloadable access map for the venue.

Booking for 10+? Use our group enquiry form →

Recognition

Industry
validated.

Our commitment to access-first practice and artistic excellence has been recognised by leading cultural institutions across the UK.

Arts Council England Equality Award

Winner · 2025

Shape Arts Commission Prize

Shortlisted · 2024

Jerwood Foundation Grant

Recipient · 2023 & 2024

Southbank Sky Arts Award

Winner, New Voices · 2024

Press

The Guardian · April 2025

"Atelier didn't make space for disabled artists. They built the space from scratch."

Frieze Magazine · November 2024

"The most significant debut exhibition programme in London this decade."

BBC Arts · February 2025

"A collective that finally asks the right questions — and then makes extraordinary work."

Disability Arts Online · January 2025

"The access map alone is worth the visit. The art will change you."

31

Events in 2025

2,800+

Seats filled

94%

"Excellent" access rating

Groups & Education

Bringing a class,
a touring show,
or a department?

Access coordinators scouting inclusive venues, teachers building disability arts into GCSE curricula, touring companies needing fully adapted technical riders — this path is for you. Groups of 10 or more get dedicated access planning, a pre-visit briefing call, and curriculum materials where applicable.

Dedicated access planning

Tailored to your group's specific needs

Pre-visit briefing call

With our access coordinator

GCSE curriculum materials

Aligned to AQA & Edexcel frameworks

Technical riders available

For touring productions & venue scouts