Nnena Kalu has won the Turner Prize  

The Turner Prize the most prestigious art award in the UK. You can find more information here. 

I want to stress how important this moment is. Nnena, like many of the students we teach, Nnena has a diagnosis of autism and a learning difficulty. She has been recognised first and foremost as an artist and now celebrated among her peers by winning this incredible prize. 

 This is a first. It marks a sea change in how people with learning difficulties are perceived and valued in the arts. 

As a school we chose to celebrate Nnena during Black History Month because she is a Black woman in her 50s—a powerful intersection of identities often underrepresented in the arts. Some of your students may have already seen her work at Tate Britain, where it is now part of the National Collection. Her work is also held by the Arts Council Collection. 

Examples of student's response to Nnena’s work can be seen here:

Please share this. Celebrate it. Mark this moment. It matters—for the neurodiverse community, for representation, and for the future of inclusive arts.