WHO IS HANNAH?
Legally Detained grew from lived experience.
It started with stories — and became something much bigger.
A place for creativity.
A place for honesty.
A place for advocacy.
Through writing, performance, workshops, consultancy, speaking and creative projects, I use lived experience to challenge ableism, tokenism and the expectations placed on disabled and neurodivergent people.
“YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO UNDERSTAND WHATS HAPPENING TO YOU, WHY IT IS HAPPENING TO YOU AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT”
Hi, I’m Hannah.
I’m a creative activist, writer, performer, consultant and the founder of Legally Detained.
But those words only tell you so much.
Legally Detained grew out of a life spent navigating systems that often struggled to understand me — and learning, slowly and sometimes painfully, that being misunderstood doesn’t mean there is something wrong with you.
My work is rooted in lived experience. I draw on my experiences of neurodivergence, mental health, trauma, recovery and the systems surrounding them to create work that asks bigger questions about how we understand people, how we support people, and who gets to decide what “normal” looks like.
Today, that work takes many forms: speaking, writing, theatre, workshops, consultancy, creative projects, community work and conversations that I hope leave people thinking differently.
I don’t want my story to be the most important thing about me.
But I do believe in the power of telling it.
Because when we tell our stories honestly, we make room for other people to recognise themselves too.
The Story Behind the Work
There are parts of my story that are difficult to tell.
Not because I am ashamed of them, but because they deserve more than a neat beginning, middle and end.
My story includes hospital wards, mental health services, diagnoses, recovery, neurodivergence, trauma, being misunderstood and trying to work out how to build a life when you have spent so long simply trying to survive.
For a long time, I thought survival was the goal.
Then I started asking what might come after it.
What would life look like if I wasn’t defined by the worst things that had happened to me?
What could I create?
Who could I become?
Legally Detained grew from those questions.
Today, I use my experiences alongside research, creativity and collaboration to challenge the systems and assumptions that once made me feel like I didn’t belong.
WORK WITH ME
TURNING LIVED EXPERIENCE INTO MEANINGFUL WORK
Lived experience can change a conversation.
It can challenge assumptions, reveal what systems miss and help organisations understand the difference between simply including people and genuinely creating spaces where people belong.
Hannah works with organisations, charities, arts organisations, services, educators and individuals who want to think differently about neurodivergence, mental health, inclusion, identity and lived experience.
Whether you are looking for a speaker, workshop facilitator, consultant or creative collaborator, Hannah can work with you to create something meaningful, accessible and rooted in real experience.
Have an idea that doesn’t fit neatly into one box?
That’s okay too.
Let’s talk.
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Stories that change the conversation.
Some conversations need more than a presentation.
Hannah brings lived experience, creativity and honesty to talks that explore neurodivergence, mental health, trauma, recovery, inclusion, identity and social change.
Her approach is personal without losing sight of the bigger picture: using individual experience to ask questions about the systems and assumptions surrounding it.
Talks can be adapted for different audiences, organisations and events.
Whether you’re planning a conference, panel, event, educational session or community programme, Hannah can work with you to create something that fits.
Want to start a conversation?
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Creative, practical and lived-experience-led learning.
Learning doesn’t have to mean sitting quietly and being talked at.
Hannah creates workshops that combine lived experience, creativity, discussion and practical reflection.
Sessions can explore topics including neurodivergence, mental health, inclusion, identity, self-advocacy, communication and lived-experience-led practice.
Workshops can be adapted for charities, organisations, schools, creative spaces, professionals and community groups.
The aim isn’t simply to leave people with information.
It’s to leave them with something to think about — and something they can take into the world.
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Good intentions aren’t always enough.
If an organisation wants to become more genuinely inclusive, lived experience needs to be part of the conversation from the beginning — not added afterwards as an afterthought.
Hannah offers lived-experience-led consultancy around neurodivergence, mental health, inclusion, accessibility, youth voice and creative practice.
This might involve reviewing ideas, developing projects, contributing to strategy, advising on lived-experience involvement or helping organisations think differently about the people they are trying to support.
The approach is collaborative, honest and grounded in the reality of lived experience.
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Performance, writing, storytelling and creative collaboration.
Sometimes the best way to tell a story is to make something.
Hannah’s creative practice spans theatre, spoken word, writing, performance, storytelling and digital content.
Her work explores neurodivergence, mental health, identity, trauma, systems and the strange, funny and difficult experience of trying to exist in a world that doesn’t always make sense.
From developing original theatre to creating campaigns and creative content, Hannah is interested in work that makes people feel something — and then makes them think.
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Coming soon.
A space for mentoring, guidance and support is currently being developed.
More information will be available soon.