Playing A/Part

Researcher: Jackie Walduck

There is an increasing recognition of the complexities surrounding autism and gender. Female autism has historically been under-diagnosed because earlier diagnostic criteria were based predominantly on observations of the behaviours of autistic boys. Many girls, women and those belonging to minoritised genders tend to be socialised differently, characteristically adopting camouflaging behaviours that imitate the behaviour of others in order to appear to fit in, whilst masking natural behaviours that feel comfortable, but which may be at odds with accepted social norms. One result is that many autistic girls and non-binary people do not exhibit the ‘typical’ behaviours that lead readily to an autism diagnosis. Pretending to be like others, whilst feeling different inside, can be emotionally exhausting, and can impact negatively on mental health.

Playing A/Part acknowledges the broad affordance of participatory arts to offer spaces of connection, acceptance and self-expression to participants. Through creative practices including composition, improvising in an ensemble, theatre, mask-making, design and den-building, the project investigates the ways in which characteristic autistic traits such as sensory sensitivity, focused attention and autistic sociality influence ‘play’ or participation strategies. Its focus on understanding autistic experience has informed participatory arts practices, as it continually asks:

• How can diverse participation strategies be encouraged to support distinctive creative outcomes?

• How can participatory music, sound-art, theatre and design activities be designed to establish the sense of safety needed by all to take creative risks or try extraordinary ways of doing things?

As Playing A/Part has already begun to develop successful practices, the current phase of work (2023-25) focuses on impact and widening engagement. The research team, augmented by a team of autistic young artists, will test and co-produce high-quality digital resources for Prospero, an online learning platform. Prospero is currently well-used within home-educating circles and in 2,400 schools worldwide. The Playing A/Part resources target both home learners and teachers of young people aged 11 to 16, celebrating autistic creativity, and widening its cognisance. Playing A/Part will offer a suite of resources that aims to develop confidence and creativity for all young people in music, sound-art, theatre and digital design.

The project was awarded Follow-on Funding from the AHRC in 2023 to enable the expanded research team, including the young practitioners, to refine the resources over 12 months. The outputs will be available via the Prospero platform in 2026.

The research is directed by Professor Nicola Shaughnessy (Principal Investigator) from the University of Kent, leading an interdisciplinary team from the Academy and the Universities of Kent and Surrey, comprising expertise in music composition, improvisation, drama, digital arts, music psychology and clinical psychology. The team will collaborate with the Autism Education Trust to recruit its young artists and develop the resources through a series of creative ‘jams’ in which ideas will be tested, expanded and honed to produce the online resources.