dr ABY WATSON
is a neuroqueer artist, choreographer, performer, academic, and activist based in Glasgow.

Aby’s work is polymorphic: it takes many forms across contexts of contemporary performance and knowledge exchange, with a hyperfocus on radical neurodiversity. With special interests in neuroqueering, stimming, sensuality, and consciousness, Aby's playful and stimulating choreographic sensibility embodies non-neuronormative potentialities within the dance space through rhythm, repetition, sensoriality, and collectivity.

Her work has toured nationally and internationally, to venues including The Southbank Centre, London; Sophiensaele, Berlin; Británico Cultural; Lima, and Tramway, Glasgow; and has been supported by The National Theatre of Scotland, Unlimited, British Council, and The Work Room. She has worked with National Theatre of Scotland, Touretteshero, Second Hand Dance, Kirsty Hendry, Snap Elastic, and Xan Dye, among others.

Aby trained in Contemporary Performance Practice at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS). She recently completed her doctoral research at RCS, 'Disordering Dance: Neuroqueering a Choreographic Practice', which discovers non-neuronormative practices of creating, performing, and experiencing dance. She has delivered talks, lectures and discussions for Rambert School of Ballet, University of Glasgow, York University, RCS, and Creative Scotland. The founding director of the Scottish Neurodiverse Performance Network, Aby is passionate about the creative potential of neurodivergence, alongside the inclusion, wellbeing, and equal equity of neurodivergent people in the performance sector. Aby is proudly dyslexic, dyspraxic, autistic, and has ADHD.

A lover of play and collaboration, Aby really enjoys performing in other people’s work across dance, theatre, visual art, and cabaret contexts. Adventurous and curious, she is always up for new creative connections and experiences. She likes to hold space, draw, design, sing, and DJ too, and is a big fan of Britney Spears.