We realized that in order to raise general awareness and also recruit volunteers, we needed to demonstrate that autism affects more than just the person suffering from the condition. We wanted to illustrate the isolation and helplessness felt by not only autistic children but also the families that care for them.

An exhibition of ‘living sculptures’ at Shanghai Expo Park, in which four adults and a child were imprisoned in locks made of black knitting wool to demonstrate the feeling of helplessness experienced both by autistic children as well as the families that care for them.

The installation was covered by 160 media groups, 80% of which were national, and generated 1.9 million comments and retweets on SNS, reaching over 60 million people. Most importantly, however, CLOVER recruited 16 volunteers and the government took notice, featuring it on their official websites and pledging to launch preferential treatment and training programs to assist these families, with a target of improving their lives within the next 3-5 years.