Thread by @SueReviews

I'm an autism researcher and my husband @bfletcherwatson is a theatre researcher.

We've been trying to work out how to turn all the attention around #puppetgate to some positive effect, and so...

here follows a wee thread of autistic artists we've come across

@bfletcherwatson Disclaimer: this is just a collection of people who are working in the arts, or doing art in their spare time.

It's obviously not comprehensive - please add your own profiles and suggestions at the bottom

(and give us a few minutes first to get all the tweets out...)

@bfletcherwatson First up @SoniaBoue who first drew our attention to the #puppetgate issue

They are a multi-form artist based in Oxford - and a brilliant blogger incidentally

@bfletcherwatson @SoniaBoue Next is @OutFoxgloved who wrote the play #TheDuck. She is a late-diagnosed autistic woman and playwright.

#TheDuck is playing this week in Exeter

@bfletcherwatson @SoniaBoue @OutFoxgloved A writer and stand-up poet we've both had the joy of seeing perform, Dr @katefoxwriter is currently touring Where There's Muck There's Bras and preparing a new #DrWho themed show

@bfletcherwatson @SoniaBoue @OutFoxgloved @katefoxwriter Based in Melbourne, Australia, @ActualA_tistic is a neurodiverse-led theatre company bringing autistic lives to the stage

@bfletcherwatson @SoniaBoue @OutFoxgloved @katefoxwriter @ActualA_tistic I am pleased to count @scrappapertiger as a friend. They are an illustrator and maker of exceptional talent (IMHO)

@bfletcherwatson @SoniaBoue @OutFoxgloved @katefoxwriter @ActualA_tistic @scrappapertiger Turning to the big screen, @FilmSpectrum is a queer autistic filmmaker and poet based in Indiana

@bfletcherwatson @SoniaBoue @OutFoxgloved @katefoxwriter @ActualA_tistic @scrappapertiger @FilmSpectrum Next up is @Morrigan_Wolfe who recently tweeted some beautiful decorated stones created by her autistic son - he uses art to "chill out and de-stress"

@bfletcherwatson @SoniaBoue @OutFoxgloved @katefoxwriter @ActualA_tistic @scrappapertiger @FilmSpectrum @Morrigan_Wolfe Academic and artist @LoomesGill uses art to express her experience of chronic pain - and it is both effective and marvellous

@bfletcherwatson @SoniaBoue @OutFoxgloved @katefoxwriter @ActualA_tistic @scrappapertiger @FilmSpectrum @Morrigan_Wolfe @LoomesGill Steve Asbell is @rainforestgardn - he is an award-winning autistic author and illustrator who is currently tweeting a thread of drawings of 28 autistic kids stimming

@bfletcherwatson @SoniaBoue @OutFoxgloved @katefoxwriter @ActualA_tistic @scrappapertiger @FilmSpectrum @Morrigan_Wolfe @LoomesGill @rainforestgardn Autistic composer, multi-sensory artist and writer, @dawnjoyleong from Singapore comes next.

@bfletcherwatson @SoniaBoue @OutFoxgloved @katefoxwriter @ActualA_tistic @scrappapertiger @FilmSpectrum @Morrigan_Wolfe @LoomesGill @rainforestgardn @dawnjoyleong Stuart Duncan from Canada is @autismfather - he created the @AutCraft server. The first minecraft server specifically for children with autism and their families - and a space where thousands get creative every day

@bfletcherwatson @SoniaBoue @OutFoxgloved @katefoxwriter @ActualA_tistic @scrappapertiger @FilmSpectrum @Morrigan_Wolfe @LoomesGill @rainforestgardn @dawnjoyleong @autismfather @AutCraft My book with @HappeLab is coming out tomorrow... and so I can't resist including the incredible @mantemarisa who created beautiful sketchnotes and a few bespoke illustrations for the book.

@bfletcherwatson @SoniaBoue @OutFoxgloved @katefoxwriter @ActualA_tistic @scrappapertiger @FilmSpectrum @Morrigan_Wolfe @LoomesGill @rainforestgardn @dawnjoyleong @autismfather @AutCraft @HappeLab @mantemarisa The amazing pupils at @LimpsfieldGrang - a school in Surrey - have written two novels about an autistic girl, "M is for Autism" and "M in the Middle"

@bfletcherwatson @SoniaBoue @OutFoxgloved @katefoxwriter @ActualA_tistic @scrappapertiger @FilmSpectrum @Morrigan_Wolfe @LoomesGill @rainforestgardn @dawnjoyleong @autismfather @AutCraft @HappeLab @mantemarisa @LimpsfieldGrang This thread would have a big hole in it without the inclusion of @soundcube a neurodivergent artist, poet and performer and founder of @ObservatoriumF - a user-led hub of neurodivergent artists

@bfletcherwatson @SoniaBoue @OutFoxgloved @katefoxwriter @ActualA_tistic @scrappapertiger @FilmSpectrum @Morrigan_Wolfe @LoomesGill @rainforestgardn @dawnjoyleong @autismfather @AutCraft @HappeLab @mantemarisa @LimpsfieldGrang @soundcube @ObservatoriumF Here comes @DerekParavicini - an autistic pianist and musical entertainer with learning difficulties. He'll be performning at the festival @AutismArts2019 in Kent in April, along with many of the next few folk in this htread

@bfletcherwatson @SoniaBoue @OutFoxgloved @katefoxwriter @ActualA_tistic @scrappapertiger @FilmSpectrum @Morrigan_Wolfe @LoomesGill @rainforestgardn @dawnjoyleong @autismfather @AutCraft @HappeLab @mantemarisa @LimpsfieldGrang @soundcube @ObservatoriumF @DerekParavicini @AutismArts2019 Next up @BendelmanDaniel is an autistic installation artist and theatre producer - also taking part in @AutismArts2019 with his installation "A Prayer for the Dead"

@bfletcherwatson @SoniaBoue @OutFoxgloved @katefoxwriter @ActualA_tistic @scrappapertiger @FilmSpectrum @Morrigan_Wolfe @LoomesGill @rainforestgardn @dawnjoyleong @autismfather @AutCraft @HappeLab @mantemarisa @LimpsfieldGrang @soundcube @ObservatoriumF @DerekParavicini @AutismArts2019 @BendelmanDaniel Performer and writer @Paulwady is the founder of @StealthAspies - the 100% autistic theatre company

@bfletcherwatson @SoniaBoue @OutFoxgloved @katefoxwriter @ActualA_tistic @scrappapertiger @FilmSpectrum @Morrigan_Wolfe @LoomesGill @rainforestgardn @dawnjoyleong @autismfather @AutCraft @HappeLab @mantemarisa @LimpsfieldGrang @soundcube @ObservatoriumF @DerekParavicini @AutismArts2019 @BendelmanDaniel @Paulwady @StealthAspies Queer multidisciplinary performance, and live artist, @annettepfoster comes next. They're also appearing at @AutismArts2019 and has led workshops at #Autscape in the past

@bfletcherwatson @SoniaBoue @OutFoxgloved @katefoxwriter @ActualA_tistic @scrappapertiger @FilmSpectrum @Morrigan_Wolfe @LoomesGill @rainforestgardn @dawnjoyleong @autismfather @AutCraft @HappeLab @mantemarisa @LimpsfieldGrang @soundcube @ObservatoriumF @DerekParavicini @AutismArts2019 @BendelmanDaniel @Paulwady @StealthAspies @annettepfoster As a finale, we also wanted to include @AAATheatre - a non-autistic-led theatre company who are supporting neurodivergent art in what seems to be an effective and empowering way. e.g. #joytheplay

@bfletcherwatson @SoniaBoue @OutFoxgloved @katefoxwriter @ActualA_tistic @scrappapertiger @FilmSpectrum @Morrigan_Wolfe @LoomesGill @rainforestgardn @dawnjoyleong @autismfather @AutCraft @HappeLab @mantemarisa @LimpsfieldGrang @soundcube @ObservatoriumF @DerekParavicini @AutismArts2019 @BendelmanDaniel @Paulwady @StealthAspies @annettepfoster @AAATheatre That's the end of the thread. of course there's so many people we haven't gathered together here - please add yourselves and the neurodivergent artists you admire. let's divert the spotlight on #puppetgate towards these folk.