ARTXV is an organisation championing disability inclusion in the arts and Web3. It was the first organisation serving the disabled community in the Web3 ecosystem, founded back in 2021. ARTXV started out as a NFT collective for neurodivergent artists in an attempt to explore a different and potentially more accessible space for disabled artists to thrive in. It has now expanded to support the whole disabled community, to empower disabled individuals to get involved in every sector within Web3 and to also provide opportunities within the traditional art world.

At its core, ARTXV stands for inclusion, empowerment and celebration. We celebrate the creativity and innovation of the disabled community and the abundance of raw talent, along with a unique lived experience which brings a fresh perspective to both creative and technical industries. However, we also recognise systemic discrimination and barriers that face the community that prevent individuals from reaching their full potential. We believe in the social model of disability and are supporters of campaigns such as #ActuallyAutistic and #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs, standing firm in the belief that disabled people should speak for and represent themselves, which unfortunately is rarely the case. This is reflected in our creative projects which place a strong emphasis on storytelling and showing the world who the disabled community is, by the disabled community. ARTXV is also passionate about allyship and ending the segregation that exists between the disabled and non-disabled community - so if you are not disabled and reading this, ARTXV is for you too!

Web3 is a new growing sector in technology. It encompasses innovations that use something called 'blockchain', a type of technology. More commonly known innovations within Web3 include cryptocurrency and NFTs. There's a lot of buzz around what these are in the news (both good and bad!), but what does this have to do with ARTXV and the disabled community? 1) The Web3 space has a huge creative component to it, with many artists getting involved to sell digitised versions of their work, gain new opportunities and find creative communities. For example, art can be sold as NFTs (you can learn what a NFT is here). 2) Like many other sectors in technology, organisations have been formed to support underrepresented groups (e.g. women) enter the space. Until ARTXV, no organisation existed to support the disabled community in Web3. 3) Web3 is a rapidly growing sector within technology and learning about it falls within the realm of improving digital literacy within the disabled community, something of immense importance to us. Whatever opinions exist on Web3, crypto and all of those buzzwords, resources and support must be readily available for the disabled community so that individuals can explore it for themselves.

ARTXV is currently predominantly focused on creative projects, whether in the traditional or digital art world, which focus on showcasing disabled artists and increasing their representation in these industries. We partner with brands, galleries and organisations to spread our message as far as possible and to provide our artists with exciting opportunities that will benefit their careers. We are also working on supporting disabled creatives, project leaders and entrepreneurs in the Web3 space to empower them to start their own initiatives. This will include education, onboarding and financial assistance amongst other resources. If you or your company would like to support this mission, please reach out to us via the Contact Us page on our website.

Neurodiversity is simply neuro-diversity. The spectrum or diversity of human minds and brain function. Neurodivergence is brain function that differs to the majority or 'the norm' (whatever that means). It is an umbrella term for a number of different disabilities and/or conditions including autism, ADHD, OCD, BPD and synesthesia. The Neurodiversity Movement refers to the growing movement within the community to change outdated misconceptions of what it means to be neurodivergent; instead of a disadvantage or hindrance, it is simply a diversity (which is a wonderful quality and a powerful asset)!

Did you know that disability is the largest minority in the world? At the time of launching ARTXV, the global estimate was 15% of the world, over 1 billion people! Fun fact: that is where the name ARTXV comes from, ART and XV the Roman numerals for 15. This number is only growing, yet disabled people are one of the least represented groups and are often left out of the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) conversation. ARTXV is here to change this.

Thank you for your support! There are several ways to support our mission: 1) Partnerships and collaborations - if you own or work for a gallery, brand, charity, Web3 or art organisation and would like to create something special together, do reach out! We are always on the lookout for special communities to work with and collaborations are our bread and butter. 2) Spread the word - spread the power and creativity of the disabled community! Show some love on our socials, introduce us to your art and tech friends and to anyone who will listen. 2) Be an ally - Read up on good disability allyship (we particularly love this easy-to-read article from our friends at Diversability), call out discrimination when you see it and support the disabled community both online and in real life.