Book chapters
Not all surfaces catch the light at the same time
Sonia Boué, Developments in Neuroethics and Bioethics, Volume 5, 2022
This chapter reflects on and presents a curated selection of blog posts, all of which were written during Boué’s Arts Council England (ACE) funded Neither Use Nor Ornament (NUNO) project.
Originally published on The Other Side (Boué’s WordPress blog), they document the development of the project and the evolution of her thinking between August 2018 and December 2019.
The aims of NUNO were twofold: to lead the project autistically and level the playing field for the autistic artists on the project. The methodology was simple: Boué worked iteratively with the support of her mentors, and made access for all (regardless of neurological status) a priority above all other criteria, including project design and outcomes. This granted her the flexibility to make any changes required to accommodate participants. She found that quality follows access, and that outcomes took care of themselves. Posts include the dilemmas of masking and unmasking our autism as freelance creatives in the Arts, and the impact of masking on the visibility of our inclusion agenda. In this pre-pandemic moment, Boué had come to abhor what she saw as somewhat hollow diversity signalling by some arts organisations. Alongside considering the professional implications of navigating our autistic identities, her posts also take a deep dive into the personal, and include vivid references to sensory harms accruing from harsh environments. Post-pandemic, having worked almost exclusively from home, this feels like an important witness.
It is all too easy to forget how disabling environments can be when one is confined to a bubble. This collection of writings provides insights into an outstandingly successful experiment in accessible project design, which created a peak positive experience for participants. It also begs questions about sustaining such initiatives and how the spirit of NUNO might be replicated or translated to other contexts.