ART

After being knocked off course, a seemingly resolute commander and their overbearing virtual assistant work together to refocus their mission.

“Commander Ash Tronomy is a five-star, frakking fabulous, astro-inspirational, earthling…” Well, that’s how they want you to think of them.

Commander Ash Tronomy hides behind a facade of “everything is fine”, as many of us do. People who live with chronic illness, neurodiversity, mental health conditions and dynamic disabilities are often misunderstood by others - and sometimes by ourselves.

We continuously grapple with societal barriers - models of disability, identity politics, censorship of joy, fear of disclosure, internalised ableism, imposter syndrome, autonomy, illness narratives and the pressure to ‘get well’.

Sci-fi places humans under imaginary pressures using speculative fiction. Those with 'hidden' disabilities are often disbelieved or considered to be imagining things - “you don’t look sick” - so the Commander's interplanetary struggles are a way of making the invisible, visible. Sci-fi becomes sci-fact.

In July 2023 I shared the work across two nights at Wigan Pier, as a pre-show for Touretteshero's Burnt Out in Biscuit Land. I was also invited to do an ‘In Conversation at Wigan Pier: Ash Cox and The Old Courts on DIY Access and Autobiographical Theatre Making’.

In October I was invited to be a part of an 18-month Graeae Beyond: Artist Development Programme in collaboration with the Octagon Theatre, to further develop my practice.

I then shared Space Chronic-ills (WIP) at Warrington Scratch Night, at Pyramid in November.  I also talked about my creative journey at the Collective Encounters, Arts for Social Change Showcase.

Space Chronic-ills' (WIP) final outing was at Girl Gang's Itch That Scratch Night, at Contact in May 2024.

At performances, there were calm spaces, soft seating and relaxed presentation, as well as live captioning, BSL interpretation from Cheryl Walker at Wigan Pier and creative captioning at Contact.