Polly's pages (aka 'Donna Williams')

Ever the arty Autie

The Aim of AIME Mentoring Program

January24

AIME is a mentoring program for Indigenous Australian high school kids.  It links them up with Indigenous University Students to inspire and encourage them to take their hopes, dreams and skills further.  AIME has launched a TV campaign to raise awareness of their program.  They need (tax deductible) donations to keep this important program going.  They need to spread awareness of the program and the inequality indigenous Australian’s, particularly youth, are still experiencing in Australian cities and towns today.  Check out their work.  Blog about it.  Volunteer.  Donate.  Read the rest of this entry »

posted under Australia, health, human rights, sociology, Uncategorized | Comments Off on The Aim of AIME Mentoring Program

Taking Autism to the Theatre

January21

The rock musical, Footsteps of a Nobody, next goes to Doncaster Playhouse in Doncaster on Saturday 20th Jan.  We’re also planning on a show in April to support international Autism Month.  For information about the show visit www.aspinauts.com .

Donna Williams, Dip Ed, BA Hons.
Author, artist, singer-songwriter, screenwriter.
Autism consultant and public speaker.

http://www.myspace.com/nobodynowherethefilm
http://www.donnawilliams.net
http://www.aspinauts.com

posted under arts and ARTism, Australia, Autism, autism politics, Donna Williams, psychology, sociology, theatre, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Taking Autism to the Theatre

Low salicylate Pear wine (Perry) for those unable to have grapes

January7

gentle sml Like a large percentage of the autistic population and a large percentage of the ADHD population, I’m salicylate intolerant which means foods high in salicylates can increase asthma, give me hives, migraines and joint inflammation, suppress liver function, suppress  immunity and trigger further food and chemical allergies and associated fatigue.  High salicylate levels also make my mind race and make me anxious, distracted and hyper.

In those with salicylate intolerance, high levels commonly affect these people like cocaine might affect others and it’s not unusual to find those with salicylate intolerance diagnosed with Read the rest of this entry »

Donna Williams’ rock musical “Footsteps of a Nobody” on You Tube

November9

chair singing guild sml Musically supported by The Aspinauts Donna Williams performs How To Be A Boy and Mirror from the rock musical Footsteps of a Nobody.  Filmed by Lindsay at The Guild Theatre in Oct 09, the show was well received and travels next to the USA in Jan 2010 before returning to Australia for a show in Geelong.

Info on upcoming shows can be found at http://www.aspinauts.com Read the rest of this entry »

Australia’s asylum seekers….

November2

Somewhere Out There sml This week Australia was again wrangling over asylum seekers headed for Australian shores.  Whilst the Rudd government has not been as overtly racist as that of John Howard, it still fails to lead the Australian people in how to combine both warmth and sense in tackling ‘the asylum seeker issue’ and the media as still to self interested to address their use of loaded terms which fan the flames of racism and sell their papers. Read the rest of this entry »

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Photos of Donna Williams and The Aspinauts from Footsteps of a Nobody

September22

band wodonga best 6 sml I’ve made a slideshow from the photos from the shows of Footsteps of a Nobody.  Hope you enjoy it.

Donna Williams, Dip Ed, BA Hons.
Author, artist, singer-songwriter, screenwriter.
Autism consultant and public speaker.

http://www.myspace.com/nobodynowherethefilm
http://www.donnawilliams.net
http://www.aspinauts.com

posted under arts and ARTism, Australia, Autism, autism politics, Donna Williams, music, psychology, sociology, theatre, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Photos of Donna Williams and The Aspinauts from Footsteps of a Nobody

Melbourne Children’s Theatre: rock musical, BALOOMBAWOP, by Donna & The Aspinautsn’s

August3

baloombawop

Written and produced by Donna Williams

and performed by Donna and The Aspinauts

TONYBROWNbest1sml Once upon tough time, there were Grumpy Gallumphies who didn’t like strangeness it made them quite grumpy. Then a magical train arrived from a dream and those who could dare, they had dared to get in. It was off to Baloomba-wop where they had purple rain, and a shop that even sold new replacement brains!

They would meet Charlie Warmton whose best friend was a blanket, and the Brookenstein Fox who lives up on a shelf, and Bluster-McFluster with his technical gadgets and the Gimmety-Gimme with everything for herself. They’d meet Booger-Looger who picks his nose to perfection and the Whirly-twirl-girl who lacks any direction. And Gadoodleborger who runs a magical shop which just happens to be where the train is to stop.

But deep in Baloomba-wop, a Grumpy Gallumphy, the notorious Dame Grumpty-Doo-bee-the-Fourth. She is looking to change Baloomba-wop for forever. She’s determined to make all these weirdoes quite plain. Will she be stopped before everything’s ‘normal’, I wonder. Or succeed making all be exactly the same? Read the rest of this entry »

Barbie song

July26

The Outsider sml Donna and The Aspinauts have an adult version of the Barbie song, but I’ve reworked the lyrics for a kids version.  Enjoy Read the rest of this entry »

Nobody Nowhere author, Donna Williams has a Melbourne Musical

July23

Donna Williams performing Footsteps of a Nobody at The Carlton Courthouse Footsteps of a Nobody is getting a 2nd showing!

Footsteps of a Nobody is a powerful one woman rock-musical from Donna Williams, author of the international bestseller, Nobody Nowhere; Autobiography of an Autistic Girl. Through characterisations, gestural signing, evocative spoken word and song it traces Donna’s pivotal experiences from a meaning deaf, meaning blind feral child to homelessness and life as a domestic prostitute and on to her ultimate fight to claim a place of equality among others.

REVIEWS OF DONNA WILLIAMS’ BOOKS:
THE NEW YORK TIMES: She allows us to understand our own perceptions as never before.
PEOPLE MAGAZINE: By turns fascinating and harrowing…
WEEKEND REVIEW: …evocative, poetic…compelling, shocking, gut-wrenchingly moving…
DAILY TELEGRAPH: Powerful and unique.
THE GLOBE AND MAIL: deserves every superlative a reviewer can muster.

BOOKINGS: 9329 8821

www.spenserslive.com.au
www.aspinauts.com

A Room With A View

July15

Lynx by Donna Williams  In 1985 I wrote a song called Not Just Anything.  In 2009, I rewrote the lyrics to form the song A Room With A View.  Unlike the award winning Merchant Ivory film of the same name (adapted from the 1908 novel by E.M Forster) my song is not a about an Edwardian romance.   In 2007, I had written a filmscript, Mc Reedy’s Christmas (represented by Bicoastal Talent) about a post apocalyptic society and related to climate change in a world where we did nothing to stop it.  The lyrics to A Room With A View were based on Mc Reedy’s world.  Here’s its lyrics: Read the rest of this entry »

posted under arts and ARTism, Australia, environment, global, music, Poetry, sociology, Uncategorized | Comments Off on A Room With A View
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