The impersonal spacious mind of an autistic child
Posted on: Sun 26 May 2019
Autism is fraught with many life challenges, both emotionally and mentally. Now imagine how it might feel for a nine year child to discover that she is not just autistic but must also contend with unwanted pressures of parental fear and denial, isolation and confusion due to her lack of self-identity and bullying from her neurotypical peers at school.
Impersonal Space is the third production from Company AT that recently made its debut at the DreamBIG Children’s Festival in Adelaide this month.
It tells a story about a young girl, Nameless, who embarks on a journey of discovery using her own imagination to understand what it means to be diagnosed with autism and finding strength and confidence within your own uniqueness, quirkiness and idiosyncrasies that dispels societal prejudice and ableism.
Company AT’s Artistic Director, Julian Jaensch, spoke to De-Stigmatised‘s Jarad about what the play represents in highlighting the personal experiences for those who are on the spectrum, both in childhood and adulthood interpreted through the facets of dramatic and comedic acting on stage.
Produced by Jarad McLoughlin
Photo supplied
