Inaugural launch of Neurofestivity - A Celebration and Exploration of Neurodiverse Art
by Samantha Calthrop (Staff Writer)
Neurofestivity - A Celebration and Exploration of Neurodiverse Art, a one-day festival featuring works by neurodivergent artists,was launched at UCC on March 10th. Curated by UCC Theatre Artist-in-residence Jody O'Neill, in association with Cork Opera House, Neurofestivity took place across five events at UCC's Department of Theatre, all showcasing writing and performances by neurodivergent creators.
Students from the neurodiverse community of UCC were invited to present their in-progress works at 2pm in Conn A, and emerging artists were welcome to attend.
Writers and performers Stefanie Preissner, Kel Menton and Ian Lynam presented readings from upcoming works and took questions, and also sat on a panel with AsIAm CEO, Fiona Ferris. Artists from the Neurodiverse and Dyslexic Visual Artist’s Group were also exhibiting at the festival.
“In my experience, there is a unique creativity and fusion that occurs in spaces where neurodivergent artists come together," said Jody O'Neill, "I’m looking forward to seeing what conversations will take place on the day and where they will lead us in the future.”
Jody O'Neill is an award-winning playwright and actor, and her play What I (Don't) Know About Autism received critical acclaim on its release in 2020. She is a vocal advocate for neurodivergent artists in Ireland.
In an interview with the Irish Examiner in 2022, Jody O'Neill spoke about her experiences with receiving an autism diagnosis at the age of 39, and her hopes to establish a community of Neurodiverse artists in Ireland. "There's more of an understanding of autism as being a fundamental part of somebody's make up. In the arts, more and more people are presenting as neurodivergent. But I do think the prevailing language in the media is about disabilities. There is a long way to go and I hope I can find a way to be a part of that change because it does have to happen."
"We are denying people the right to education on the grounds of disability. We're still categorising people as having special needs. But there's nothing special about us. We are all as human beings entitled to an inclusive education and we should have access to employment."
"I think in terms of actually making our venues more accessible, we have a lot to learn. We need to engage with people who have a lived experience of feeling uncomfortable in a venue and seeing what venues can do to shift that."
Free tickets for panels and readings were available from Cork Opera House at https://www.corkoperahouse.ie/. Attendees of Neurofestivity could also buy discounted tickets for the play Daughter of God by Roderick Ford, which was performed at the Granary Theatre at 8pm March 10 as part of the event.
Daughter of God is a 16+ story of magical realism. It follows the story of a mother and her three daughters, who isolate themselves from society. "Leaning into magical realism, Daughter of God explores the autistic experience of life in a neurotypical world, and the struggle to exist in a society that does not fit," reads the play's description.
“This festival is an opportunity to bring neurodivergent artists together and explore the processes of making work in today’s society," says Eibhlín Gleeson, CEO of Cork Opera House.
"There is much to celebrate and much to talk about and we hope this will be the start of a wider platform for the presentation of work by this exciting community of artists in the future.”
All events took place in CONN 1, The Connolly Building, unless stated. The programme of events for Neurofestivity was as follows:
12.30 – Items of Inspiration – Open Lunch. The event welcomed members of the Neurodiverse Visual Artists Group who hosted an open informal lunch, sharing items of interest and inspiration in their work.
2:00pm – Works in Progress – Student Presentations. This event welcomed students from within the neurodiverse student population in UCC to present works in progress across a number of artforms.
4:00pm - Readings of New Work. Writers and performers, Jody O’Neill, Stefanie Preissner, Kel Menton and Ian Lynam presented 10 minute readings of new work. This was followed by a Q&A session.
6.30pm The Neurodivergent Artist – A Panel Discussion. Panel Discussion welcomed Fiona Ferris (Deputy CEO, AsIAm) in conversation with invited neurodivergent artists, Stefanie Preissner, Jody O’Neill, Kel Menton and Ian Lynam.
8.00pm – Daughter of God by Roderick Ford, Granary Theatre. In Daughter of God, a mother and her three daughters have isolated themselves from society and are bound together by secrets, sickness and mutual dependency. Their situation is about to change with devastating results when one of them gets an opportunity to have a different future.
