We’re incredibly proud to share that AutismAble recently took part in the Mercury Prize Fringe – a week-long celebration building excitement for the Mercury Prize coming to Newcastle.

Organised by Generator, the Fringe brought together some brilliant organisations from across our region to host workshops, events, and performances celebrating music, creativity, and community.

As part of the celebration, our Youth Music-funded project, Future Collaborations, performed at The Customs House in South Shields. The performance was a powerful and creative showcase of what the group have been working on, experimenting with sound and celebrating the North East.

Our members created a unique sound collage, blending music with recorded audio, spoken reflections about the region, and poetry.

Earlier in the day, ITV News visited the group’s rehearsals, with journalist Jonny Blair speaking to our Senior Coordinator and Youth Music Lead, Ian Black, as well as members of the group. It was a fantastic opportunity to highlight the project and share the voices and experiences of our members with a wider audience.

One of our members from the project told Jonny:

“I’ve never done anything like this and I think everyone will enjoy the music and everything that we’re doing.”

Future Collaborations is all about bringing people together through music. It’s a space where neurodivergent and neurotypical people can play together as one.

Being part of the Mercury Prize Fringe has been a truly special opportunity for AutismAble. Experiences like this not only showcase the talents of our members but also help build confidence, develop new skills, and create lasting memories.

We’re so proud of everyone involved and excited to see where Future Collaborations performs next.

Click here to watch the full ITV News story.