Thursday 8th October
6:30pm
Open to everyone
FREE to full-time Glove Factory Studios and Health Club members, and RIBA members
£12PP incl VAT non-members
RSVP/BOOK HERE
What does it take to create truly useful learning environments for children with neurodivergent needs? with Georgie Cutbill, Mark Ellerby from Mark Ellerby Architects, Fergus Feilden from Feilden Fowles, and Pete Wharmby, hosted by Joanna Watchman from Content Coms.
If you are an architect / contractor / educator / parent / collaborator – then this event is for you!
Following the government’s recent release of the long-awaited Schools White Paper, we invited a group of experts to share an evening with examples from a few projects, illustrating how the projects evolved and what it took for them to thrive – from design, to build, to use.
This event brings together architects with specific experience of creating solutions for neurodivergent inclusive schools, educators with extensive knowledge about educational needs, and end-application instigators responsible for estate management and delivering fit for purpose spaces.
Jo Watchman has the enviable task of chairing this stellar cast line-up of parents, architects, and educators for an inspiring evening exploring neurodivergent-inclusive school design.
1. Georgie Cutbill – joins us as a parent and lends her career experiences of managing complex briefs, practising exacting standards, and forging hugely rewarding relationships. Georgie combines metropolitan polish with deep local knowledge and helps, among others, the recent Hummingbird Project in Bruton.
2. Mark Ellerby – long time Glove Factory Studios member, is a highly versatile architect and is particularly knowledgeable on Education designing for Autism & SEND. Mark’s work includes delivering PassivHaus buildings with a keen interest in collaboration using natural building materials.
3. Fergus Feilden – Founder at Feilden Fowles, leads project teams to deliver beautiful buildings with great social and environmental impact. Projects include National Railway Museum in York, Nature + Love at the Horniman Museum & Garden, and the Stirling shortlisted Weston at Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
4. Pete Wharmby – Pete is a highly skilled communicator on issues pertaining to autism, ADHD & neurodiversity. Shortlisted for the National Diversity Awards 2026, Pete’s third book, Different Minds, published on 3rd September 2026, follows two successful publications – ‘What I Want To Talk About’, and ‘Untypical’, exploring autistic special interests and how the world may look to autistic people.
5. Joanna Watchman – Managing Director at Content Coms | B Corp Certified™️, and long time studio member. Jo is a trusted advisor on strategic comms and marketing and is exceptionally skilled at transparent communication strategies that drive awareness of issues we all need to pay more attention to. As an experienced event facilitator, Jo is perfectly qualified to host this panel of experts.
6. Matt Williams – chair of RIBA Wiltshire and Director at architectural practice Lavigne Lonsdale. Matt and his team believe good places don’t happen by accident. Matt joins us in support of RIBA South West and the value of the work RIBA Chartered Architects deliver.
We look forward to welcoming you with drinks and delicious nibbles from 6:30pm before the discussion gets underway at 7pm.
We hope you can make it.