A two-day festival of workshops, provocations, discussions, and performances curated by the Scottish Neurodiverse Performance Network (SNPN).
A hybrid festival – with a full online programme and events streamed live from the CCA in Glasgow and opportunities for in person attendance.
The programme includes two days of performances, film, workshops and discussions, online and in person. On the first day, renowned neurodivergent artist, Jess Thom of Touretteshero will offer a keynote presentation Disability Culture in a Time of Pandemic and the festival will be rounded off with a special evening of short performances from local neurodivergent artists, performed live at the CCA, hosted by Ivor MacAskill and Sanjay Lago.
NEUROSTAGES is a neurodivergent-led platform and space for artists and creatives, communities, individuals and industry professionals to find out more about either neurodiversity or performance. The NEUROSTAGES festival explores neurodivergent-made pathways, practices of solidarity and the potentialities of futuristic thinking in performance. It asks how can embracing neurodiversity change theatre and performance for the better? It is an invitation to join neurodivergent performers and artists to share perspectives, experiences and practices. It is an opportunity to enjoy new film work, to hear about the creative processes of the artists supported by the NEUROSTAGES mentorship opportunity, to physically delve into facilitated workshops and to celebrate a constellation of neurodivergent artistry from Scotland and beyond.
The festival is curated by Aby Watson and Rachel Clive, on behalf of SNPN and is hosted by Aby Watson, Rachel Clive and Ivor MacAskill. Aby Watson is an artist, disabled dance maker, performer, and researcher, Rachel Clive is a neurodivergent theatre practitioner, researcher, and teacher/facilitator and Ivor MacAskill (he/they) is a queer, trans, neurodivergent live artist and theatre-maker based in Glasgow.
The event is delivered by the National Theatre of Scotland and SNPN, in partnership with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and National Autistic Society Scotland. Both the festival and SNPN have been generously supported and hosted by the CCA.
NEUROSTAGES marks the final phase of Limitless, a project that explores a framework for the engagement of autistic people in creative activity as artists, audiences and participants.
The programme involves work from a host of performers, companies and facilitators including: Jess Thom (Touretteshero); Ivor MacAskill; Euan Hayton, Chloe Maxwell, Alison Mackenzie and Hughie McIntyre (not panicky); Sean Logan; Morna McGeoch, Jonathan Carlton and Andrew Robertson (BoP Young Artists); Emma McCaffrey (Lung Ha/Reluctant Penguin Productions); Liselle Terret and Emma Selwyn (Not Your Circus Dogs Collective);; Akshayee Shetty (Sense Kaleidoscopes); Anne Kjaer; Neha Apsara; Steven Fraser; Heather Andrews; Susanna Dye; Jo Hauge; Leonie Rae Gasson; Sanjay Lago; Indra Wilson; Lesley Howard and Clare Adam; Rylan Gleave; Simone Seales; Hannah Yahya Hassan and Andrew Gallagher.
Rylan Gleave, Simone Seales, Hannah Yayha Hassan and Andrew Gallagher are the four mentees who successfully applied for a development opportunity with the festival and will be sharing the outcomes of their mentorship at NEUROSTAGES.
Films include Harmonic Spectrum – produced and directed by Austen McCowan & Will Hewitt; Yearning: A Letter to Mum – concept and production by Neha Apsara; If You Could Touch Me Now – concept and production by Anne Kjær, performed by Robert Softley Gale and Anne Kjær; What it Feels Like by Steven Fraser.
Nick Ward, Director of National Autistic Society Scotland said:
We’re really excited to partner with National Theatre Scotland and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland on the ‘NEUROSTAGES festival’. Despite there being 56,000 autistic people in Scotland, opportunities for autistic artists can be few and far between leading to their stories and experiences being on the margins of the creative industries. NEUROSTAGES offers a wonderful opportunity to address this by allowing autistic and other neurodivergent artists to connect, develop and perform.
Full programme to be announced/go on sale on Thursday 23 September