The first instance of the Level 3 festival was in 2021, initiated to celebrate the creativity of autistic, learning disabled and neurodivergent artists working with playful media and immersive technologies. The festival showcased interactive digital artworks, accessible workshops, and talks, all designed and led by learning disabled artists and made available in Mozilla hubs. The aim was to challenge barriers in the digital arts, increase representation, and provide new opportunities for learning disabled people to create, share, and connect through playful media. As a result of the covid pandemic the festival was hosted on Mozilla Hubs offering an online inclusive space for audiences to engage with innovative work and helped build a stronger, more visible community of learning disabled digital artist.

This project tackled the underrepresentation of autistic, learning disabled, and neurodivergent (A/LD/ND) people in the digital and creative industries. In the UK, around 15% of the population is neurodivergent—including people who are autistic or have learning disabilities—yet these communities face persistent barriers to participation in the arts. Only 4% of the arts workforce identifies as disabled, and neurodivergent artists are even less visible, often lacking access to training, funding, and opportunities to exhibit their work.

By creating a festival designed and led by A/LD/ND artists, this project helped break down these barriers, providing a platform for creative expression, skill development, and community building. It highlighted the importance of accessible digital spaces and promoted greater visibility and inclusion of neurodivergent voices in playful media and immersive arts.