What does it mean to navigate life as an ADHD woman in a society where being organised, composed, and in control is an expectation?

Framed in Focus: ADHD Women, opening at Studio C, Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, on 25 September, seeks to explore that question through photography, lived experience, professional knowledge, and public participation.

The project is a research partnership between the University of Malta and ADHD Malta, bringing together academic research, professional expertise, and the voices of ten women with lived ADHD experience. This is particularly important given the historical gaps and gender imbalance in ADHD research. Using unedited photographs taken with disposable cameras, the women explore their internal landscapes and experiences.

Running until 1 November, the timing of Framed in Focus is particularly significant. The exhibition and its programme take place during ADHD Awareness Month in October, a period dedicated internationally to increasing understanding of ADHD. The project also resonates with the World Health Organization's 2026 World Mental Health Day theme, "Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change." This year's WHO campaign highlights the importance of treating lived experience as a form of expertise and calls for people with lived experience to have a meaningful role in shaping policies, services and decisions that affect their lives.

The project is deliberately about much more than putting photographs on a gallery wall. Visitors will find a dedicated feedback space within the gallery, inviting them to contribute their own comments, questions, and reflections. These contributions will become part of the exhibition, meaning that audiences are not simply observing the project but actively participating in its ongoing development.

Alongside the exhibition, the programme includes a creative workshop on 7 October focused on making a personal stimming accessory, a creative-expression workshop on 22 October, and a Human Library workshop on 28 October, where participants can listen to, question, and learn from women with lived ADHD experience. The workshops are open to those aged 14 and over, with limited places available.

The exhibition is intended to create opportunities for dialogue to inform action. A key part of that approach will be the public talk and discussion on 13 October, Bridging the Gap: Clinical Insights and Lived Experience of ADHD. This event embodies the central ethos of the project: bridging professional and clinical knowledge with the knowledge that comes from actually living with ADHD. The evening will feature adult ADHD expert Dr Dora Wynchank, alongside two local psychiatrists and women sharing their lived experiences, followed by an open discussion with the audience. The hybrid event will also be livestreamed by ADHD Europe, allowing the conversation to reach an audience beyond those physically present in Valletta.

The project is also reaching beyond its public programme. A closed viewing has been planned specifically for policymakers, dignitaries, academics, major stakeholders, and members of the press. The intention is to bring the perspectives captured through the project into spaces where they can inform wider conversations about ADHD, neurodiversity, and inclusion. Moreover, we are also inviting schools to visit the exhibition during morning sessions, creating an opportunity for students and educators to engage with the themes of ADHD, neurodiversity, and active citizenship. This educational outreach is an important part of the project's wider aim.

Framed in Focus: ADHD Women invites audiences to look beyond assumptions about ADHD and consider how Malta can become more responsive to different ways of thinking and experiencing the world.

The exhibition runs from 25 September to 1 November 2026 at Studio C, Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta. The project is supported by APS Bank plc, whose sponsorship is helping make this wider programme of engagement possible.

For full information about the exhibition, events and registration, visit:

Framed in Focus: ADHD Women - Spazju Kreattiv