Sonia Boué
Artist - Writer - Consultant
What people say:
Mentoring
"Mentoring is a life-line, it's the highlight of my week. I now feel I can book that meeting whereas before it seemed impossible."
WEBworks Mentee
"You helped me understand how my diagnosis was affecting my ability to self-organise, and the practical steps needed to move forwards. With your help, I'm learning to communicate my access needs in ways which make me feel good about myself."
BOM ND Fellow
NUNO Project
"It was wonderful to hear you talk about neuro-inclusive leadership!"
Helen Delaney, Curator, Tate Britain.
"You are one of the most incisive people I know. NUNO has been a very joyful, enthusiastic process."
Katherine May, Author of Wintering & Electricity of Every Living Thing.
(NUNO creative and mentor)
"Your attention to detail was remarkable given all the other demands on your time."
Dave Edwards (NUNO Artist).
"Sonia’s leadership was thorough and methodical at all times. All the areas that could be planned for and thought through in advance were. Sonia allowed time for feedback and input into the planning process from all the parties involved.
Holding all the parts of the project together was a tough task. A whole variety of needs and expectations needed to be nurtured and treated with the same level of professionalism. Sonia did this by adopting a person-centred approach to leadership. Each member of the project was valued for their unique contribution and unique personal and artistic strengths. I think this engendered a real sense of ‘buy-in’ for participants."
Miranda Millward (NUNO Mentor)
"What I found unusual in Sonia's approach was her ability to fully concentrate on the individual needs of each artist, both the neurodivergent and neurotypical, giving very detailed and often ‘out of hours’ support as and when it was needed.
Because of this careful nurturing, several of the neurodivergent artists were able to overcome their anxiety and other challenges, which might have proved debilitating, to complete and present work that was of a very high standard, sitting comfortably alongside the work of more established artists.
Sonia’s sensitive and ethical approach to inter-personal relationships created a harmonious environment where access and accessibility were at the fore throughout the project, including in relation to the visitor experience.
In a more neurotypical leadership style, I don’t think the, sometimes nuanced, messages coming from the neurodivergent artists would be fully understood, potentially risking artists giving up and withdrawing from projects."
Sarah Mossop (NUNO Mentor)
"NUNO Project took a 360-degree approach to autism in creative practice including events and a publication entirely designed to reflect and be accessible to neuro-atypical people, with a rigour of approach and attention to detail that encompassed even the layout of the catalogue text.
Sonia’s recent work is leading to the development of best practice definitions for supporting neurodivergent artists, which I think will benefit the visual arts sector in the longer term."
Chris Oakley, Lead Artist and Creative Producer, Shadowlight Artist Group, FILMOxford.
Partnerships and consultancies
"Sonia is a great artist and thinker."
Mike Layward, Artistic Director, DASH Arts.
"Sonia has exhibited with us and mentored artists who have exhibited with us.
As well as working alongside vulnerable adults and artists who are neuro divergent to enable them to make important cultural contributions in our arts centre, she has helped us as a venue to look at our own practice and think differently about how we make ourselves more inclusive of people with invisible disabilities.
Her generous, collaborative and assertive engagement with us has made a big difference to how we work."
Jeremy Spafford, Director, Arts at The Old Fire Station, Oxford.
"Sonia Boue has provided a professional and authentic voice for neurodivergency throughout our Propeller programme. From it’s initial funding proposal, consultancy to create an autistic friendly art-cafe and creative co-working spaces, training our staff and individualised coaching for our autistic participants, her unwavering loyalty and commitment to supporting Propeller has made an enormous impact to it's success.
The ease with which Sonia conducts herself is also a great asset for working with neurodivergent participants. She fuses a mixture of pragmatic, flexible and bespoke approaches to supporting individuals. Working with Sonia is simply effortless effort!"
Chloe Lawson, Engagement Producer, Birmingham Open Media.
"Our consultation was easy to arrange and didn't take that long but it was incredibly focused and absolutely eye-opening. You got straight to the point, you gave incisive feedback and constructive, informed suggestions.
I feel as if my mind has been opened to countless possibilities - very exciting! I can't wait to get started. Thank you Sonia!"
Vanessa Woolf, London Dreamtime.