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

Aby’s work is polymorphic—shifting fluidly across contemporary performance and knowledge exchange, with a focus on radical neurodiversity. With special interests in neuroqueering, stimming, sensuality, and consciousness, her playful, stimulating choreographic sensibility explores non-neuronormative potentials through rhythm, repetition, ritual, and togetherness.

Working nationally and internationally, Aby’s taken her creative work to Inter-University Centre for Dance Berlin, Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp, and Festival de Artes Escénicas de Lima, among others. Her shows have toured to venues including Southbank Centre, Sophiensaele, Wales Millennium Centre, and Tramway, and her work has been supported by the National Theatre of Scotland, Unlimited, British Council, Creative Scotland, and The Work Room. She’s worked with Touretteshero, National Theatre of Scotland, Magnetic North, Soundplay Projects, Birds of Paradise, Snap Elastic, and more.

Aby trained in Contemporary Performance Practice at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS), where she also earned a PhD in partnership with the University of St Andrews. Her research, ‘Disordering Dance: Neuroqueering a Choreographic Practice’, explores non-neuronormative approaches to making and experiencing dance. Her writing appears in journals Choreographic Practices, Writing in Creative Practice, and in publications by artists Anna Püschel and Dr Daniel Oliver. She has guest lectured at Rambert School of Ballet, University of Glasgow, York University, and RCS.

Founder of the Scottish Neurodiverse Performance Network, Aby champions the creative power of neurodivergence and advocates for neurodivergent equity, inclusion, and wellbeing in the arts. She is proudly dyslexic, dyspraxic, autistic, and has ADHD.

A lover of play and collaboration, Aby enjoys performing across dance, theatre, visual art, and cabaret. Curious and adventurous, she’s always up for new creative encounters. She trains in pole, sings, designs, DJs, and morris dances. She sings and plays drums in the band Ghaist Kiln. Aby loves Britney Spears, who is a big inspiration for her alter-ego, Niki Rush.