Discover the miracle of neurodiversity in you and other brilliant people throughout the world as we take a journey through the senses together.

Maike Preissing and Zoe Present: IN MY MINDS EYE workshop

In collaboration with Journey Through The Senses

Date: Saturday 18 Oct 2025

Time: 14:00 – 18:30 BST. (Doors at 1:30pm)

Location: 5 Torrens St Studio 2B London EC1V 1NQ

A half-day workshop – being held at Imperfect Art studio in London

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.ca/…/in-my-minds-eye-workshop…

This is a place where you can take your inner world seriously, in the most playful way. We’ll learn about wellbeing and sensory processing, hear Zoe perform, and make art — with a tote bag as your canvas for the day.The day will also include a pop-up gallery wall, pastries and hot drinks, opportunities to connect with new people and a curated goodie bag for every participant

The Venus Bushfires Presents: Of Earth and Quill

In collaboration with Journey Through The Senses

Date & Time: Wednesday 1st October 2025, 20:30-21:35

Venue: The Cockpit, Gateforth Street, London NW8 8EH

Tickets: thecockpit.org.uk/show/of_earth_and_quill

Of Earth and Quill is a visionary opera by Helen Epega (The Venus Bushfires) that reimagines how stories survive. Through African percussion, operatic voice and vivid visual worlds, she invites audiences on a multisensory journey of sound, colour and
belonging. The work asks: how do we honour the past while shaping the future?

Helen Epega (The Venus Bushfires), creator of Song Queen: A Pidgin Opera presents Of Earth and Quill, a visionary new opera exploring survival, memory and identity in a world remade. Inspired by echoes of Chinua Achebe and William Shakespeare, the work blends African percussion, operatic voice and poetic multilingual storytelling with projected landscapes and shifting costumes. Helen’s synaesthetic experience of music as colour and shape invites the audience to experience the world as she does, supported by creative captioning and bold design. For her, the opera is both a question and an offering: how do we honour the past as we create the future? For audiences, it becomes an immersive, soul-stirring journey of remembrance, resilience and the power of imagination.

Voices for Love: The Dog Concert 

Featuring Pianist Dr Jenny Chai

In collaboration with Journey Through The Senses 

On September 14, 2025, join the vibrant community of Shanghai at the WB CENTRAL for a pioneering event where music and social responsibility unite. This unique evening, led by Dr. Jenny Q Chai and the talented students of FaceArt Institute of Music, brings together the power of innovative classical music with heartfelt compassion to raise awareness and support for stray animals in need.

Bridging Music and Animal Welfare

Since its founding in 2011, FaceArt has championed the idea that “art empowers public welfare,” and its founder, Dr. Chai, has long believed that music is an emotional medium that transcends species. This event is a natural extension of those ideals. Known for blending traditional artistry with forward-thinking technology and social activism, Dr. Chai and her team craft concerts that transform lives—not just for the audience, but for the dogs who are waiting for a second chance at happiness.

Date and time: Sunday, 14th September, 2025 at 3 PM

Venue: West Bund Central, Shanghai 

Please see below to find articles about VOICES FOR LOVE: THE FOR DOGS CONCERT from Cosmopolitan China and Bazaar Lifestyle China:

INSTRUMENT INVENTORS INITIATIVE ,JOURNEY THROUGH THE SENSES AND REWIRE PRESENT

"NOT TO BE SENSELESS 4"

Not to be Senseless is a playground for the senses, focused on and from the neurodivergent experience, and where concepts connect to consciousness about diverse needs.

‘Not to be Senseless’ is a stage for neurodivergent art with people and pieces that experience and explore neurodivergencies such as synaesthesia, savantism and autism. This accessible event opens up new perspectives by recognising differences in how we sense the world. Organized by iii in collaboration with Journey Through the Senses and Rewire. Curated by Maria Oosterveen.

Schedule:

14:00 Introduction + performance Bjarte Wildeman
15:00 Talk & Q&A with Anita Hubner
16:00 Performance Bjarte Wildeman
Continual Installation April 4-6 by Natalia (Nika) Sorzano

The maximum amount of audience is 50

Venue:

This edition of Not to be Senseless will take place on Saturday 5th April at The Swing in Amare (The Hague) as part of Rewire Festival.

instrumentinventors.org

rewirefestival.nl

Tickets:

www.eventbrite.nl/e/not-to-be-senseless-at-rewire-2025-tickets-1292779671799

Smells Like Roses Workshops 2025

In collaboration with Journey Through The Senses 

3 – hour workshop on synaesthesia and perfume
A smelling experience exploring the inner landscape of synaesthesia, perfume making and the electronic nose.

● Workshop 1 Sunday 10 – 1 pm…. 23 March
● Workshop 2 Sunday 10 – 1 pm…… 6 April

Location @ RSA Devonport 61 Victoria Road, Devonport, Auckland 0624

Over 18
Limit 20 participants
Price $50 all materials included
In collaboration with Journey Through The Senses 

Participants will be invited to a smelling experience exploring the inner landscape of synaesthetic experience. They will be guided into sensing and colour matching 16 perfumery materials which they will colour code and then mix into a rose solid perfume. The perfumes will be played by the electronic nose.

Workshop ‘Smells like Roses’, 3 hour workshop exploring synaesthesia through the power of synthetics and molecules created from petro chemicals to make intersensory illusions.

www.satellite2.co.nz/raewyn-turner.html

www.raewynturner.com

The Venus Bushfires Presents: Sounds of Us UK

A collaboration with Journey Through The Senses and Supported by PRS Foundation Composer’s Fund and Ladbroke Hall.

Date & Time: Wednesday 20th November 2024, 6pm doors, 7-8.30pm performance.
Venue: Ladbroke Hall, 79 Barlby Rd, London W10 6AZ
Tickets: TBC (to be created by the venue)

Join us on Wednesday, 20th November 2024, at t Ladbroke Hall for Sounds of Us UK, a groundbreaking, immersive live performance by The Venus Bushfires (Helen Epega). This unique experience weaves together British and African stories through an exquisite fusion of music, culture, art, and sensory exploration.

Helen Epega, experiences musical notes as colours (a form of synesthesia) and she brings her creative process to the forefront of Sounds of Us UK. As the audiesnce listens to the ethereal sounds of the hang, African percussion, Western classical instruments, and meditative vocals, you will be invited to reflect your emotional responses visually.

Using the pastels and canvas provided, you’ll paint in real time, translating your personal experience of the music into vibrant artwork that reflects both individual and collective creativity.

The evening will begin with a talk by James Wannerton (President of Journey Through the Senses and UKSA). James will explore the wonders of synaesthesia and take questions from attendees.

INSTRUMENT INVENTORS INITIATIVE AND JOURNEY THROUGH THE SENSES PRESENT

"NOT TO BE SENSELESS 3"

An evening that stimulates the senses and explores neurodivergencies.

A collaboration with  iii and Journey Through The Senses, ‘Not to be Senseless” is a stage for neurodivergent art; with people and pieces that experience and explore neurodivergencies such as synaesthesia, savantism and autism. The evening opens up new perspectives by recognising differences in how we sense the world.

To echo the different worlds of the neurodivergent, this edition of the event will focus on the sensorial experience of scent/smell. Yolanda Uriz will help you explore the synesthetic experience between sound and the olfactory. Cemre Kara will take you on an immersive olfactory participative game through the city of Maastricht. Renske van Vroonhoven will connect the dots between the/her neurodivergent experience with smell and the artworks of the evening. 

VisualFlux and Journey Through The Senses Presents

An evening of synaesthetic music and visuals.

Visualflux is a Live Cinema performance by the a.cinema ensemble, based on the legacy of abstract cinema and visual-music pioneers, reinterpreting their poetic universes in terms of contemporary aesthetic and technical challenges. As in all fields of art, the 1960s were fertile years in abstract cinema creations, pointing to poetic and imagetic possibilities that fed the experimental imagination of the following decades. Taking as reference Peter Kubelka’s “flickering cinema”, the organic and psychedelic colors of the Joshua Light Show, the hypnotic mandalas of the brothers James and John Whitney, — all of them founding references for contemporary Live-Cinema practices — in Visualflux, a.cinema provides an immersion in high-voltage multisensory environment, where music overflows into cinema, and cinema overflows into sound.

Artistic and Technical Team
Dino Vicente – Synthesizers
Rodrigo Gontijo – Real-time video editing 

Sérgio Basbaum – Fretless guitar
Iolanda Sinatra – Production

Duration: 50 minutes

Wednesday, 9th October 2024 at 8PM

Teatro Centro da Terra in São Paulo, Brazil

Rua Piracuama, 19 – Perdizes, São Paulo – Brazil

https://centrodaterra.org.br/centro-da-terra

INSTRUMENT INVENTORS INITIATIVE AND JOURNEY THROUGH THE SENSES PRESENT

"NOT TO BE SENSELESS 2"

A collaboration with  iii and Journey Through The Senses, ‘Not to be Senseless’ is a stage for neurodivergent art; with people and art pieces that allow us to experience and explore neurodivergence such as synaesthesia, savantism and autism. The evening opens up new perspectives by recognising differences in how we sense the world.

To echo the different worlds of the neurodivergent, this edition of the event will focus on the sensorial experience of touch. Laura Dima will be exploring the politics of touch through wearable devices that simulate touch between physically separated individuals. Ludmilla Rodrigues will be sharing her pressure-based experiments with inflatables. Jenny Konrad will round off the evening with a talk about self stimulation and the role this plays in neurodivergent thinking. 

Society is still restricted in its knowledge and acceptance of neurodivergence, with neurodivergent people often being seen as difficult. This makes it important to create a moment where neurodivergence gets a place to be seen and respected and that neurodivergence is a strength that shows us our world in a different light.

“Let’s talk synesthesia” is turning one!

Journey Through the Senses (in a collaboration) supported Maike Preissing with the anniversary event of the “Synesthesia Podcast” on Feb 24th at Metropol Cinema Innsbruck, right in the heart of the Alps. At the event, attendees watched a recording of Pete Carruthers’s theatre play “The Possibility of Colour.” After the screening, there was a special panel with Pete Carruthers (Playwright), Maike Preißing (Podcast Host), and also James Wannerton (President of JTTS & UKSA). Each member of the audience received a goody bag with products sponsored by Lush and Flareaudio, stimming toys, and some awesome art by Zoe NG and Helena Chywski.

https://www.instagram.com/synesthes_a/

Journey Through The Senses is pleased to be a key contributor to this inspiring exhibition- A Taste of Synaesthesia

A Taste of Synaesthesia
International Synaesthesia Art Exhibition
27th October
OXO Tower, The Bargehouse @oxotowerwharf
Free admission

Programme here: www.ninelyraeproductions.com

In collaboration with Brunel University London in celebration of the 2023 Artist in Residence.

UK Synaesthesia Association and journeythroughthesenses

“NOT TO BE SENSELESS” IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN INSTRUMENT INVENTORS INITIATIVE AND JOURNEY THROUGH THE SENSES

Presented on the evening of October 20th at Instrument Inventors Initiative in the Hague.

‘Not to be Senseless’ is a stage for neurodivergent art; with people and pieces that experience and explore neurodivergencies such as synaesthesia, savantism, and autism. The evening opens up new perspectives by recognizing differences in how we sense the world. 

Society is still restricted in its knowledge and acceptance of neurodivergency, with neurodivergent people often being seen as difficult. This makes it important to create a moment where neurodivergencies get a place to be seen and respected. To show that neurodivergencies are a strength that shows us our world in a different light. 

To echo the different worlds of the neurodivergent, this event will also highlight different senses, including smell, sound, touch, and proprioception.

Website for more information about this event:
https://instrumentinventors.org/agenda/not-to-be-senseless/

Playtronica and Journey Through The Senses are pleased to present SOUND TASTING

Join us on October 9th at Mikrokosmos restaurant in Berlin for a groundbreaking sensory fusion event where experimental cuisine meets synesthetic sound! Experience unique tastings from Mikrokosmos’ sustainable kitchen, matched with a live performance of renowned multimodal artist Portrait XO, translating flavors into sounds based on their auditory-gustatory synesthesia.
 
Synesthesia is an involuntary mixture of senses – like associating colours with numbers, for example.  Portrait XO transforms flavors into soundscapes to take the audience on a journey of how she hears flavors e.g. lemon is high frequencies, and peanut butter is low subby bass.  By allowing participants to experience these multisensory translations, they’re invited to question how their own senses might perceive the relationship between taste and sound. 
 
This collaboration (with Journey Through the Senses) is produced by Playtronica Berlin studio, which blends technology and synesthesia, enabling users to experience a multifold perception by associating music with touch, color, or even taste. Playtronica sensors act as a bridge, creating a multi-sensory experience that lets people feel music and sound in different ways. 
 

Hosted by Mikrokosmos, located in Berlin-Kreuzberg, this experience aims to educate about sustainable dietary alternatives and overcome the fear and disgust of unconventional foods like insects.


Our leadership team member Anton Dorso did a Q&A with Portrait XO which in and of itself is a fascinating exploration of her creative process, early stylistic influences and the unique aspects of her experimental electronic music with powerful visual and multisensory elements inspired by her synesthesia. In this interview, Portrait XO talks about her musical journey, including when she first became interested in electronic music and what encourages her to explore experimental sounds. Dorso’s inquiries focus on the perceptual specificities of Portrait XO’s approach to sound design and how she finds inspiration for her multisensory sets.

VENICE DESIGN WEEK 2023

SYNAESTHESIA FOR DESIGN: COMMON GROUND OR TERRA INCOGNITA?

Synaesthesia for Design: Common Ground or Terra Incognita?” is a panel discussion presented by Journey Through The Senses & Nairobi Design. What can design theory and practice derive from congenital synesthesia? Manifestations of synesthesia are consistent, immersive, purpose-driven, and experiential. There are many more synesthetes among artists and many synesthetes choose creativity as careers or leisure time activities. Numerous types of congenital synesthesia span all the human senses and embrace language, sound, social, and other cognitive elements. How can non-synesthetes tap into synesthesia’s so much-venerated experiential benefits? Are there nonspeculative inroads into its efficient practical applications beyond inspiration and mimicry?

 

Saturday 7 October, 2023 at 11 AM
Venice, Italy
In presence and streaming in English

Book by clicking here or via mail at rsvp@venicedesignweek.it

A multi sensory, interactive performance exploring the phenomena of Synesthesia through Dance. Learn about Synesthesia while celebrating neurodiversity through art and movement.
Featuring San Diego based professional dancers and meet and greet with choreographer and Poly- Synesthete, Zoe Marinello-Kohn. Following the performance, stay a while and socialize with the performers with a refreshment!

Many thanks to JTTS’ Anton V. Sideroff-Dorso for his sensitive and engaging interview with poly synaesthete ballerina Zoe Marinello-Kohn. Please enjoy this personal journey into Zoe’s experience of synaesthesia and how it shapes and colors her creativity and artistry.

Journey Through the Senses is pleased to join in a scientific collaboration with Nairobi Design week to explore and identify synaesthesia on the African Continent.

Journey Through The Senses is pleased to join in collaboration with "The Shape of Color" to explore neurodiversity and all its wonders through The Arts and Sciences.

A Solo Exhibiton Featuring Synaesthete Fine Artist Marina WitteMann
Shape of Color
April 8-30
Haze Gallery, Berlin  

Marina WitteMann, being a synesthete, feels the world a little deeper and more fully than the other persons, she sees in color the emotional states of surrounding people, vivid experiences, pain, anger and euphoria. That is why the works presented at the exhibition strive to break out of the framework of generally accepted art forms. That which had no volume, breaks through the two-dimensional space, color acquires shape, paper — texture, depth. Each work at the exhibition is an outspoken image formed through the prism of the artist’s perception, through the fusion of several sensory levels at once.

Irina Rusinovich

Art curator, editor-in-chief, Gallery owner

Haze Gallery, Berlin

Journey Through the Senses is pleased to present, in collaboration with two of our highly talented members, an exploration of diversity and perception:

A live piano and ballet concert. Featuring concert Pianist, Svetlana Rudenko, and professional Ballerina, Zoe Marinello-Kohn, the event will take place on March 20th, at the Whale Theater just outside of Dublin, Ireland and during Brain Awareness Week.

Moscow’s Spectacular New Museum, GES-2 House Of Culture:

An Exciting New Scientific Collaboration with Journey through the Senses.

*  Journey Through The Senses is pleased to be a co-sponsor of this cutting edge event which supports a greater awareness of neurodiversity.

Featuring Synaesthete Concert Pianist Jenny Q Chai

Piano and ensemble with Intermedia Concert on January 1, 2022 - Shanghai, China