From Bubbling Potions to Gallery Walls: Half Term at the Hub

The last week of October is a busy one for us, and we can’t wait to share it with you! From art and potions to fungi hunting and a week-long exhibition, there’s something for every age. Here’s what’s coming up.

Sunday 25 October: Drawing Connections (16–25 years)

We start the week at Drawing Room with our Sunday creative studio for neurodivergent young people aged 16 to 25. It’s a relaxed, low-pressure space to try new materials, explore ideas and meet others who love making things. Across the year we’ve explored self-portraiture, inks, collage, printmaking and visual storytelling with professional artists.

You don’t need art experience, and you don’t need a diagnosis. Some people chat while they create and others prefer to work quietly. Both are completely welcome. Parents and carers are welcome to stay but don’t have to.

📍 Drawing Room, Unit 1B New Tannery Way, SE1 5WS
🕐 1:15–4:15pm
🎟 Free for Southwark residents, £12 for non-Southwark residents
👉 Book Drawing Connections

Drawing Connections is a collaboration with Drawing Room, funded by Southwark Council.

Monday 26 October: Potion Lab: Spooky Science (6–18 years)

Real chemistry, spooky results! Our scientist in residence for the day, Emilia Angelillo (@emilia.science), will help young people brew bubbling potions, make pumpkins “vomit” foam, create gooey slime and watch colours change before their eyes. Each age group gets its own session, with outdoor play built in.

Teens (11–18): 1:00–3:30pm. Starts at Mint Street Adventure Playground, then Potion Lab, finishing with games in Little Dorrit Park.
Juniors (6–10): 3:15–5:15pm. Starts with play in Little Dorrit Park, then Potion Lab, and a last play before home time.

No science knowledge needed, everything is supervised and risk-assessed, and breaks are always fine. Please bring outdoor clothes, snacks and a water bottle.

🎟 £5
👉 Book Potion Lab

Wednesday 28 October: Fungi Halloween Workshop (11–18 years)

Join us and the London Wildlife Trust for a spooky-season walk through Sydenham Hill and Dulwich Woods. With 15,000 species of fungi in the UK alone, how many can you find? Expect woodland games, fungi spotting and time in nature with other young people. Groups are small, the pace is relaxed, and there’s no pressure to join in more than feels right.

📍 Meet at the Michael Faraday Memorial, Elephant & Castle, at 12:30pm, or join us directly at Cox’s Walk entrance, SE26, at 1:30pm
🕐 12:30–4:30pm
🎒 Bring water, snacks, a raincoat and sturdy shoes (no crocs or sliders!)
🎟 £10, or free with a Solidarity Ticket for families receiving benefit-related Free School Meals or Universal Credit
👉 Book the Fungi Workshop

28 October – 1 November: Celebrated Minds: Black Excellence and Neurodiversity at OXO Gallery

To close Black History Month, we’re celebrating Black excellence and neurodiversity with a free week-long exhibition at OXO Gallery on the South Bank. The walls will feature art by people connected to Southwark, including drawing, painting, sculpture, poetry, sound and music. You can also add your own vision for the future to our Wall of Hope.

Free daily workshops, 3–4pm:

Wed 28 Oct: Drawing with Habiba Nabisubi
Thu 29 Oct: Painting with Amie Elizabeth Wolo
Fri 30 Oct: The Art of Doodling with NDFH
Sat 31 Oct: Storytelling & Drum Making with Own Beat Collective
Sun 1 Nov: Mindfulness with Susan Young

Special Evening, Wednesday 28 October (ticketed): a warm, joyful night hosted by Annette Telesford, with a keynote from Sagi Burton, a former professional footballer and academy coach who is neurodivergent himself. It also includes our community open mic, 5 Minutes of Fabulous.

🕐 Exhibition open daily, 11am–6pm. Free entry.
👉 FREE but please book workshops and evening 

Our Regular Activities

Half term or not, our community keeps going. Here’s what we run every week:

For children and young people

Monday: After School Club (6–18). At Mint Street Adventure Playground, 3:30–5:15pm for everyone, with teens (11–18) staying until 6:15pm. Board games, table tennis, arts and crafts, themed workshops, or just chilling. Free, with optional donations. Book here
Wednesday: Tiny Tribe (0–5). Our stay-and-play group at Mint Street, 10am–12pm. Little explorers play while parents and carers meet over a cuppa, with regular expert visits. Open to all families. Book here
Wednesday: Nexus Tribe (16–25). Our social group for young people aged 16–20, and up to 25 for young people with additional needs, 7–9:30pm in SE5. Sessions are planned by participants and dinner is included. Free, thanks to Southwark Council. Book here

For parents and carers

Online Coffee Morning. 16th Oct,  10:00-11:00am - A friendly themed chat on Zoom with parents and carers who get it. Bring your questions, tips, joys and worries. Free. Book here

Learn & Connect Webinar, Friday 23 October, 12:30–1:15pm. This month’s topic is The Art of Effective Communication: what it means in a neurodiverse family and how it can help you build your relationship with your child and the people around you. Free, on Zoom. Book here

We support all families, with or without a diagnosis. We hope to see you this half term!

The Neurodiversity Family Hub: Happy lives, in a caring community.