The award-winning arts charity Create returned to The Stables in Milton Keynes for the second year in a row in late 2016.
The project creates musical compositions with autistic students. Sessions restarted in November.
As part of Create’s Creative Connection program, the project uses specially designed creative workshops that bring students from Walnuts College together to share and develop their ideas.
Walnuts College is an educational setting for autistic young people who have left mainstream schooling because the environment did not meet their social and communication needs.
Through close collaboration and access to a wide network of resources, the workshops give young people a space to build relationships and connect with others in their own way.
The theme for the project was the change of seasons from autumn to winter. The group worked closely with musicians Jimmy Norden and Jenny Adejayan, exploring different techniques to create their own compositions.
After recording, the music was used for choreographic works.
Sara Macqueen and Will Aitchison worked alongside the students to create repeated motifs (a recurring idea in an artistic work), using ideas of mirroring and physical reflection.
According to the National Autistic Society, “Socializing and communicating can be challenging for many autistic people.” Some autistic children find forming and maintaining relationships hard, especially when others don’t understand their communication style.
Autistic people often communicate and read social cues differently from non-autistic people, and misunderstandings can run both ways. Creative, low-pressure settings like these workshops let young people connect on their own terms.
Jerry Aldous, Manager at Walnuts College, adds:
Autism manifests in many different ways. Walnuts College tries to help manage the student’s difficulties, which they encounter in their own, very individual ways.
Create works with Walnuts College to offer fun, creative and interactive sessions that support autistic young people, with each session planned around the individual’s specific needs.
Nicky Goulder, Create’s Co-Founder and Chief Executive, said: “There are 700,000 people in the UK living with autism. Only 16% of autistic adults in the UK are in full-time employment and only 32% are in paid work.
Walnuts College offers a curriculum that focuses on developing life skills, building towards confidence in independent living.
Create is privileged to have this opportunity to work alongside Walnuts College to provide creative programs that help toward this objective, offering workshops that encourage social interaction, as well as creative and communicative skills.
Last year was a great success and we’re all really excited to see what the students come up with.”
I am Ash and I celebrate Neurodiversity! Growing up with an elder brother with severe Autism was tough – but it has also taught me essential life lessons. I don’t believe that people with Autism are necessarily or have any disorder (except in extreme cases). They are just different! And that is something to be proud of! I am passionate about helping other families who may have Autism conditions in their family. So please reach out and drop me a note. I will be glad to help 🙂
