Hannah, who has been taking part in Chickenshed’s theatre workshops as part of NCB’s Changing Narratives project, writes about how this experience has allowed her to combine two of her passions and find a place where she feels feel truly at home.
My path to this point in my life has been a difficult one, but one that drives my want to use creativity to empower social change. My journey of self-discovery took many years, it started in 2020 and is still continues to this day.
In truth, the largest part of this work occurred for me only last year. I discovered that I have two massive passions in life, two things which drive everything I do. One is a love of performing and expressing myself creatively: this is something that massively helped in my journey to discovering who I am. The other is the drive that gets me up each day, social change. So, when I saw NCB’s Instagram post about joint theatre workshops with the Chickenshed to sign up was a no brainer!
I was unsure what to expect, but equally excited about the opportunity to combine my two greatest loves. However, what I have come out with is so much more.
The first amateur dramatic group I joined after I left hospital told me that I was “too autistic to be an actor and needed to join a group for those with specialist needs”. My potential to add value to a situation was rejected because my inclusion left others feeling puzzled and uncomfortable. Having been included, I wasn’t conforming in the way they expected or understood. This was not inclusion.
Far too often, places that call themselves inclusive are happy and welcoming of those who are different. However, what they really mean is that once you’re there, you are only truly welcome if you can conform in the same way as everyone else does.
Chickenshed is the exception. Since day one of walking through the doors I felt at home, I felt safe and I felt wanted. The lack of inclusion in our mainstream system is failing so many young people. There is so much intellect, talent, ideas and inspiration locked within the barrier of communication.
Just through the six workshops we have done so far, that barrier is being lifted: creativity is communication. It’s a language we can all understand and one we can interpret in our own ways. It has been so inspiring to see how creativity has already unlocked so many hidden voices within the short time we have had together.
Chickenshed is a place where we look not from the eyes of neurotypical but from the eyes of those whose brains are different. Where there is an understanding that we may not speak, we may seem rude, we may not enjoy social situations, we may not find certain things relevant, we may flap our hands, we may laugh inappropriately or we may also appear totally ‘normal’ but disappear for days to reset ourselves… but that not one of these make us less human, less capable or less able to make art.
I have taken quotes from my own blog "I don't want to be included; I want true inclusion" as I feel my experience here has been the opposite of the one I wrote in that blog. And if this is not reason enough to believe how good these workshops have been, I am now about to start the Foundation Degree in Inclusive Performance at Chickenshed in September full time! All from attending the workshops, learning about the education offer and then last-minute applying! I am excited for my future with both Chickenshed, NCB and both combined and the final show will be nothing less than a powerful and moving performance.
Hannah is a neurodivergent activist, artist and actor.
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