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We chat with co-organiser Ian Black about the event which celebrates collaborations between neurodiverse and neurotypical musicians
Image: Ian Black, aka Slug, by Andy Martin
Taking place at Gosforth Civic Theatre in Newcastle on Saturday 14th September, Future Collaborations Festival is a celebration of neurodiversity and neurotypical collaborations in music, featuring sets from Slug, Nano Kino, Jeremy Warmsley, Jodie Nicholson, Mt. Misery, Liz Corney, Jodie Nicholson, Liz Corney, Idle Hands, Distant Learning, Ben Lunn & The AutismAble Orchestra, The Frets and Grace & Elise.
We spoke to co-organiser (and Slug main-man) Ian Black about how the event came about, and what audiences can expect from the show.
How did Future Collaborations Festival initially come about?
When I started working at AutismAble I said to [charity co-founder] Andrew Forster: “wouldn’t it be great if we could get our AutismAble learners and the attendees of the Youth Music sessions together to put on a little festival where they learn how to work as stage management, admin, sound as well as performing?”. Being the visionary that Andrew is, he said that we could be more ambitious and try and treat it as a ‘proper festival’ which was open to the public so they could see how skilled our learners and hard-working our team are. Ever since that fateful day myself and Andrew have gained a shiny new grey hair each day making sure that it will be a success. Adam Cowley who has been attending the over 18s sessions has since become a mentor at the project and will be the host for the evening, which both thrills and terrifies me in equal measures.
Tell us a bit about the Garage Above collaboration with composer Ben Lunn – what can audiences expect?
Garage Above are AutismAble’s house band who play everything from hard rock to 70s disco bangers. They have worked with Ben Lunn previously, and what Ben does best is get them out of their comfort zone and learn how to improvise. For the festival Ben will be working with our learners to create some music for some strings, something that they have never done before. It really is something else when you hear string players performing music you have written. Our learners will obviously do a fantastic job.
Can you give a brief overview of the work AutismAble do with musicians, specifically?
At AutismAble we do a variety of things. We always try and make sure that everyone who attends is included in group activity so they feel like one big gang when performing and they gain confidence through each other. We try to create a safe space for people to learn, make mistakes and understand it’s not the worst thing in the world if they do. We help build individual skills such as learning how to play an instrument, as well as music tech, through our very own music studio. We also put on small gigs at venues such as Sea Change and Sunderland institution Pop Recs Ltd., where they have had experience playing in front of an audience as well as learning to set up their equipment under timeframes and in a different setting.
In your experience, are there enough opportunities for neurodiverse musicians to perform in the region?
From what I have experienced it can be difficult for people who are neurodiverse to feel comfortable in a live venue. Whether it be the crowds or sound. Whether there are enough opportunities? No, I think not, but I think it’s getting better. For instance, Gosforth Civic Theatre who is hosting the Future Collaborations Festival, are also doing great things with their Liberdade charity.
How do you think promoters or venues could improve their representation of neurodiverse musicians and artists?
I think by hosting events like the Future Collaborations Festival would be good step forward. They could speak to neurodiverse artists and ask what would help them feel comfortable and if there’s anything they could do to support them.
What would be your advice to a neurodiverse musician just starting out and looking for experience?
Make sure the place where you choose to gain experience is safe, comfortable and sensitive. Surround yourself with the right people, if you can. For example, Sea Change has an open mic night each month and everyone is welcome to come and try stuff out. To be honest, as a neurotypical person I am learning all the time and don’t have the answers. I’ve had people tell me what can make them feel uncomfortable at gigs and sometimes what they verbalise does not even cross my mind. I feel like everyday I learn something else and I make sure I remember it.
