Image Description: Toronto's own Cruella De Vil. Heidi standing on the left side of the image with a smirk on her face looking directly at the camera. She is wearing a fuzzy blue sweater and reaching out to grab a tiny white dog. A person is focused on an art installation unaware of what is going on.
Heidi Persaud is a Neurodivergent arts worker, multidisciplinary artist, and unqualified dognapper. Her passions include training and mentoring the next generation of arts administrators; learning and collaborating with Mad, Deaf, and Disabled communities; relationship building with access workers; and finding ways to improve the user experience at Tangled Art + Disability gallery. When she is not hyperfocused on the arts, she is learning restorative gardening practices and cleaning up with Humber River Pals.
**Let’s Get Spicy: Relaxing the Work Environment for Neurodivergent Artsworkers October 10, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Moderator: Heidi Persaud Panelists: Cleopatria Peterson, Lux Gow-Habrich, Nicole Crawford Location: Studio 2** Traditional office culture isn’t designed with neurodivergent people in mind. This panel reimagines the workplace by exploring sensory-friendly practices, alternative communication styles, and flexible structures. With a playful approach, participants will “spice up” how they think about meetings, deadlines, and collaboration to better support neurodivergent artsworkers.