Tentacles is a writers’ collective for disabled and chronically ill people.

When disabled narratives are told, they are rarely written by people with lived experience, and we believe it’s time for that to change! That's why Neal founded Tentacles in 2018, having realised that no such space existed for the disabled community and feeling strongly that it should. Anyone who considers themself to be chronically ill, neurodiverse and/or disabled is welcome to join our collective- whether that's for one workshop, to watch a performance, or every week! We know from our lived experiences that our vast and varied community has a huge amount of talent, but often nowhere we can hone and share our skills.

We aim to foster and celebrate the awesome talent of our artistic community through accessible online and in person workshops, as well as providing a space to share and critique work. We focus on developing aspects of craft in a generative space that feels safe for people to discover and express themselves in.

Tentacles is run by and for disabled people. We write together, believe in continuous feedback and the collective shapes future projects and workshop themes. We are based in Nottingham, but run online as well as in person events, and every member of the community is equally valued. We started with a focus on poetry, but have plans for script writing, personal essay craft, performance coaching, as well as showcases and publishing work.

Your Facilitators

Neal Pike (he/they) is a queer disabled writer/theatre maker/workshop leader/playwright. They specialise in writing and creating work about often ignored and forgotten subjects. Their first show Five Years was about their time at an SEN school in the 90s in Nottinghamshire. They have written a poetry collection called identity bike ride.

Sarah Wilson (they/she/he) is a queer, disabled activist, facilitator and writer. They specialise in working with marginalised groups to create safe, accessible spaces for expression. Sarah has written and directed plays and published essays and poems. He has worked across a range of sectors internationally including charities, schools, theatres and universities.