Hello!
As part of the current move to situating this blog (for the moment) as a primer on my thesis containing resources for newcomers to get to grips with how everything will work, I'm proud to present a more accessible edition of my FAQ. Originally posted on the Facebook page, I hope this new location will be easier to find/read/use for anybody less used to or active on Social Media.
-David Lothian (Writer/Owner)
Q: “What is your thesis title?”
A: The full project title as of November 2021 is “The Art of Stimming: Reconsidering Physical Performance and Autism”
Q: “What is the thesis about?”
A: My thesis concerns the synthesis of screen performance studies with the history of autistic representation in screen media to work towards a fresh understanding of both autistic subjectivity & the nature of ‘performance’
Q: “What/who are your major sources?”
A: I will be referring to a wide variety of sources, theories, and perspectives including the work of Stuart Murray, Michael Kirby, James Naremore, Laura Mulvey, and Peter Lovatt. I also plan to engage with the relevant literature on autistic psychology and medical disability fields
Q: “What are your major case studies?”
A: My thesis will look at a diverse range of screen media texts from before and after 1988’s Rain Man (the commonly-identified ‘template film’ that set the tone for all subsequent performances of autism) including A Clockwork Orange (1971), Star Trek The Next Generation (1987-), Billy Elliot (1990), The IT Crowd (2006-), Control (2007), and Music (2020)
Q: “What is a ‘neurodivergent reading’?”
A: This is a term coined by myself & my supervisors to denote the area of my thesis devoted to exploring examples of autistic physicality I have recognised in the performances of neurotypical characters across a range of screen media texts. It is styled in much the same way as retroactive “queer readings” of LGBTQ+ subtexts in older visual media
Q: “Will your thesis contain interdisciplinary engagement?”
A: This is as yet undecided. From the beginning I envisaged this project as containing ample space for interdisciplinary collaboration and creation, but deciding factors such as research directions, deadlines, and subsequent conferencing or networking events will likely influence this area in the coming months and years
Q: “Who is the performer (right) in the page’s cover photo?” (SEE BELOW)
A: This is Ian Curtis: the late frontman & lyricist of the band “Joy Division”, whose unique personality, problems (epilepsy, depression, stage-fright), and performance persona resulted in an infamously visceral on-stage dance style that originally inspired my thesis. The rapid and seemingly-compulsive movements of his arms, legs, head, and mouth bear -in my opinion- a striking resemblance to autistic “stimming” behaviour: a similarly compulsive set of physical behaviours and tics deployed to tackle challenging situations. Influenced by this and other key examples, I set out to explore in-depth the possible link between neurodivergent and neurotypical behaviour, physicality, and performance.
