Profile
I create solo and collaborative performances that take a neurodivergent-led and wilfully calamitous approach to world-building, audience participation and immersion, comedy, and pretence. My performances and workshops have been presented throughout the UK and overseas for 20 years. My practice has been support through Arts Council England funding a number of times.
My research, which is both practice-led and theoretical, focuses on the roles and experiences of neurodiversity in contemporary, experimental performance. I work to develop appropriately diverse ways of writing on and disseminating this research, interweaving creative, performative, personal, and theoretical writing practices. This is currently building towards the development of a theory and practice that I call ‘neurotransgressive’ and ‘accidental avant gardism’.
I have been teaching contemporary performance and theory at universities since 2010. Before Central, I was mainly teaching at Queen Mary University of London, where I also did my PhD, entitled ‘The Efficacy of Awkwardness in Contemporary Participatory Performance’. I have also taught, mentored, and ran workshops at institutions including University of East London, Kingston University, Texas A&M University, Helsinki University for Arts, and on Access All Areas’ Performing Arts Diploma for Learning Disabled and Autistic Adults.
Areas of Expertise
Neurodiversity (esp. dyspraxia)
Contemporary Participatory Performance
UK Live Art
Critical Theory and Performance
Awkwardness in contemporary performance
‘Neurotransgression’ and ‘Accidental Avant Gardism’
Key Publications
Books
2019. Awkwoods: Dyspraxic Adventures in Contemporary Performance and Live Art (London: Live Art Development Agency)
Journal Articles
Forthcoming, 2024. ‘Neurotransgression and Live Art’, Contemporary Theatre Review: Special issue Live Art – radicalism and complicity in a scene of constraint (Under peer review)
2017.‘ Dyspraxic Collaboration’ with Luke Ferris, Contemporary Theatre Review: Interventions, issue 27.2 (June 2017)
2016. Weird Seance Extras (Revisited)’, Performance Research, 21:3 (2016), 122-123
Book Chapters
2022 (with Sumita Majumdar), ‘Dyspraxic approaches to teaching Live Art and experimental performance in the neurodivergent classroom’ with Sumita Majumdar, in Inclusivity and Equality in Performance Training: Teaching and Learning for Neuro and Physical Diversity, ed. by Petronilla Whitfield (Oxon and New York: Routledge)
2014, ‘Getting Involved with the Neighbour’s Thing: Žižek and the Participatory Performance of Reactor (UK), in Žižek and Performance, ed. by Broderick Chow and Alex Mangold (Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan), pp. 154-164
Others
2024 ‘On Carnesky’s Ballad of a Bloody Pearl’ in a forthcoming book on Marissa Carnesky, (London: Unbound)
2019, ‘On Neurodiversity: A Live Art Development Agency Study Room Guide’ (London: Live Art Development Agency, 2019)
2018, ‘Scottee is Dyslexic’, in Scottee: I Made It, ed. by Jen Harvie (London: Live Art Development Agency, 2018), pp. 266-267
External Practice
2023, and ongoing, Performance Dork, Supported by Arts Council England, Cambridge Junction, and Duckie. This is an ongoing world-building project influenced by experiences of contemporary independent table-top games, fantasy roleplay, and escape rooms, and imagines a neurodivergent-led fantasy world dominated by experimental performance practice.
2023, The Egg Show, Commissioned by The Yard Theatre. A collaboration with 10-year Mazvita, focussed on her desire to pull her jumper up over her head and pretend to be an egg.
2020, Dadderrs: The Lockdown Telly Show A collaboration with choreographer Frauke Requardt, adapting the live show Dadderrs for digital distribution. Commissioned and produced by The Place, supported by Forest Fringe and Tramway.
2020 Dadderrs. A collaboration with choreographer Frauke Requardt. Funded by Arts Council England and produced by The Place & co-commissioned by Dance International Glasgow, Sick of the Fringe, The Place & The Yard Theatre. A surreal participatory performance exploring our experiences of dyspraxia and ADHD as lovers, parents, and artists.
2016-18 Chiperlaterartparty. Funded by Arts Council England. Supported and platformed by Duckie; Steakhouse Live Festival; Live Art Bistro; Latitude Festival; Buzzcut Festival, Glasgow. A performance and installation exploring ideas of dyspraxic time travel, neurodivergent cults, and dystopic futures.
2015-19 Weird Séance. Funded by Arts Council England. Supported by SPILL Festival of Performance; Live Art Development Agency, and Cabaret Voltaire, Zurich. A meta-participatory performance for the pretend woods exploring awkwardness, dyspraxia, and wildness.
Register of Interest
Nothing to declare.