A staging that explores neurodiversity as a creative power, questioning the idea of a single model of humanity and transforming the stage into a living laboratory of diversity and learning.

“ROBOT” is a project directed by David Atencio, playwright and director of the Tercer Abstracto Program, which arises from the intersection between abstract art, cognitive sciences and scenic creation. Inspired by Jackson Pollock's action painting technique and the metaphor of the “tangle of networks” as an image of the human brain, the work explores how we think, feel and learn from non-normative perspectives.

The montage is built from a situated and horizontal methodology, which recognizes the experience of neurodivergent and disabled people as the central axis of the creative process. Unlike external or welfare perspectives, “ROBOT” is committed to co-creation, rethinking the traditional modes of rehearsal and theatrical composition.

On stage, the performers Claudia Vicuña (neurodivergent dancer and choreographer), Héctor “Tito” Medina (dancer and performer with motor disabilities) and Sergio Mejía (actor with Down syndrome) deploy a performative language that combines theater, dance and cognitive sciences. Through everyday actions—such as putting on a jacket or peeling a tomato—the work reveals the complexity of thinking in movement and the richness of diverse learning processes.

This project delves into the neurodivergent experience not as a deficiency, but as a creative power and a space for agency. According to believers, there is no single way of thinking, feeling or learning; on the contrary, we inhabit a vast diversity of minds. The scene is thus transformed into a living laboratory, where how we operate, feel and learn from this plurality is explored and made visible, challenging the unilateral conceptions imposed by the norm.

Relaxed functions

All functions of the work are relaxed, which means that they incorporate reasonable adjustments and accessibility measures aimed at guaranteeing the full participation of neurodivergent people and all diversities of the public. Upon entering, you will be able to access a Sensory Regulation Room, a space arranged for rest or self-regulation. The doors of the room remain open throughout the function, allowing free movement of its attendees. In addition, before the start, you will receive an anticipatory guide prepared under the Easy Reading regulations (cognitive accessibility), which offers clear information about what will happen in each scene, promoting a more safe, autonomous and accessible experience for everyone.

“More than a linear narrative, the audience will encounter a sensory and cognitive experience that transforms the scene into a living laboratory of diversity. “ROBOT” does not seek to adapt an existing system, but rather to rethink its foundations to imagine a theater where cognitive and bodily differences are not tolerated, but recognized as creative powers and valid forms of knowledge.”

— David Atencio, director and playwright.