24.–26.4.2026
Celebrating Neurodiversity.
Creating Art.
Changing Perspectives.
The Neurodiversity Arts Festival of Oulu is one of the flagship projects of Oulu2026. This unique festival is organized entirely by a neurodivergent team.
What is NAFO?
The Neurodiversity Arts Festival of Oulu is a multi-disciplinary festival showcasing works by neurodivergent artists as well as works exploring neurodiversity. The programme at the Cultural Centre Valve features visual arts, film, theatre, literature, and music.
Striving for accessibility, the festival celebrates neurodivergent culture and is produced entirely by a neurodivergent team. NAFO is Finland’s first neurodiversity arts festival.
What do we mean when we talk about neurodivergence? Alongside the autism spectrum, neurodivergence also includes, for example, ADHD and Tourette’s. It’s hard to give exact numbers, but estimates suggest that around 10–15% of people are neurodivergent.
Neurodiversity, on the other hand, refers to the natural variety in how human brains work. Much like biodiversity in nature, neurodiversity is something valuable and worth appreciating. It includes not only neurodivergent people, but also neurotypicals.
Coming up in the programme
Films
The film series include feature-length and short films, both drama and documentaries, at Studio Cinema. The festival opens with a preview screening of the Italian documentary Not Today, Not Tomorrow.
Art Exhibition
(neuro)DIVERSITY (13 April–15 May 2026) presents art by neurodivergent artists. This group exhibition at Valve showcases, in a broad and multifaceted way, the experiences of neurodivergent artists through their art.
Performing Arts
The programme at Valve in April includes Autismisäätiö’s theatre group Vautsi, one of Europe’s leading theremin musicians Susanna Viljamaa, performance art, jazz, and more. Not to be missed!
Comics
Comic artist Emmi Valve talks about her work and life, followed by an open-to-all mini zine workshop at Restaurant Paljetti. Valve’s breakthrough work Armo, which deals with living with mental health issues, was awarded the Artémisia Spécial prize in France in 2022, and she was selected as Oodi’s Writer of the Year in 2024.
Art Workshops
Our art workshops at Valve’s craft space Kantti are aimed especially at neurodivergent people, but no matter where you are on spectrum, you are welcome! The workshops are led by neurodivergent artists.
