Neuro Da Verse is the capstone project of my BSS Advocation for Neurodiversity through the Arts. It is a showcase of the type of advocacy and activism he wishes to strive towards in my career. My experience with Performance art will hopefully feed into my quest to create workshops, art projects and collaborations that Facilitate effective self advocation and Self Expression.
Featuring Five Neurodiverse Cornellian Poets,
Neuro Da Verse is a celebration of our different brains, and poetry that we used to explore, express, and advocate for ourselves throughout our lives. Our Poets will share personal narratives and poetic pieces that speak to their own unique experiences and circumstances.
Our goal is to garner respect for the power of creativity in the hands of the Neurodiverse, and to call our audience to action in supporting the neurodiverse poets and artists in their lives.
Featured Poets:
Chris Ryerson
Armani Rogers
Lily Cott
Ujjesa Dhanak
Zaria Evans
Directed by Chris Ryerson,
Part One, My Narrative, My goals.
Part Two, The Poets Section
Some of my thoughts on the project:
This performance serves as the culmination of my work in Theater, Psychology and studio art at Cornell, the bow upon my Bss degree in 'Advocation for neurodiversity through the arts.' It took shape as a prototype for the type of work I want to be basing my future career off of; Collaborative art projects with Neurodiverse community members focused on facilitating self exploration, self expression and finally, self- advocation through various art mediums and in workshop formats.
Neuro Da Verse came into being this year, in the middle of fifth block as a reengineering of my capstone. Coming into this year, I had originally envisioned my BSS capstone as a devised theater project focused on presenting individual narratives through hybrid art shows/interviews with the participants. Though I had done significant research into the powerful ways artistic exploration and expression can help improve the lives of the neurodiverse, my planned execution was not on a path for success. This original format was rife with issues I found myself ill equipped to address. First, I found difficulties finding willing participants who could dedicate significant time both in rehearsal and in the art studio. Second, I had been struggling to figure out how to balance the roles of Director, advocate and performer in this format. Finally, I struggled with a particular ethical issue that interfaces deeply with the first two issues: when, how and where does advocating with a community, turn into advocating for a community, and when does that turn into using a community to be heard.
You see, My goal as an advocate for Neurodiversity through the arts, Is to advocate for the Idea of Neurodiversity existing as a commendable and respected state of being, rather than advocating For any particular person or group of peoples using my own words or performances. Instead, I hope my works provide spaces and tools for my community members to speak their own stories and communicate their own words. It is a important delineation!
I myself am Neurodiverse, I have a brain that works differently from the accepted norms of cognitive behavior, and Neurological mechanics, ADHD Combined Presentation. I grew up struggling with executive dysfunction, hyperactivity, and deficient impulse control. I can speak have have spoken to the experiences folks with ADHD can have with Rigid school requirements, and the kinds of stress and depression that can stem from constantly being unable to focus on what i love, or accomplish doable tasks for no other reason than my brain not being able to connect the first dots between the start and step one. But what I can not speak to, is Major Depressive Disorders, Compulsive Disorders, Personality Disorders And any other type of diagnosis or particular different brain that I simply Do not have.
When I reimagined and refined my capstone into a narrative based exploration into the utility of Poetry in the hands of the neurodiverse, I addressed the above ethical and professional quandary in part at least. By shifting the focus of my project from creating the 'perfect platform' for artists to both show off their work and be explain it in a consumable way to the audience, to a project dedicated to sharing my experience with Poetry as a tool for self-advocation, I was able to speak to my own truths more fearlessly, And invite my collaborating poets to do the same.
Armani, Ujjesa, Lily and Zaria Brought their own experiences and viewpoints into the project, Utilizing my narrative as a primer for the audience on the idea of Poetry being a multi use tool for a neurodiverse individual, Their self contained stories were able to stand on their own, and receive the focus that they deserved.
Their engagement changed this project from one I was content with, into a Project I am proud to have even been a part of. In the creation of Neuro Da Verse, I requested each poet bring a piece of poetry that spoke to their personal experiences with their different brains, or a piece that perhaps had helped them explain themselves or advocate for themselves in the past. I then asked them to produce a narrative section that would contextualize their poetry for our audience, explain to those watching why and how the process of creating and sharing poetry has been conducive to their successes or resilience in life. It was an open ended prompt on purpose, and through their work I feel that each poet was able to bring their own intersectional experiences to bare, each of us touching on facets of the neurodiverse experience that the rest of us would not be able to.
I created Neuro Da Verse in the hopes of Sharing the tools that had helped me build who I am today, talk how i talk today, and think how I think today. Not because I think the ways that I personally work are the "right ways" for a kid with ADHD to succeed, But because I feel that Tools like Poetry and creative narratives are so flexible, so emotionally magnetic when used without fear, that anyone could gain from the chance to use them, and the freedom to create art that speaks to their own personal truth. I do not want my work to be handing out instruction books on how to be a "successful" neurodiverse person, instead I want to provide the resources and freedom i had been able to have in my youth, and the space on stage or on print for these wonderful neurodiverse artists to be seen for who they are: Wonderfully human, And powerfully creative.
Comments
Post a Comment