Salzburg Global Fellow Dawn-joy Leong reflects on creativity, quiet connections, and being “authentically and unapologetically Autistic”
This article was written by Salzburg Global Fellow Dawn-joy Leong, who attended Salzburg Global's Culture, Arts and Society session on "Creating Futures: Art of Narrative" from April 6 to 11, 2025.
I am Autistic and live with chronic autoimmune conditions. I was the only openly Autistic and disabled Fellow at the Salzburg Global session on “Creating Futures: Art of Narrative” from April 6 to 11, 2025. April also happened to be Autism Month, and I quietly observed this by simply holding space and being there, authentically and unapologetically Autistic.
From the very beginning, I felt a sense of un-intrusive, organic, inclusion that I had not experienced before at other events of this nature. The amazing team at Salzburg Global provided all the disability support that I had requested, from travel arrangements, to bedroom appointment, and even a quiet table just for me during meal times. My one regret was that I did not have enough time and space to get to know the other Fellows better, much as I wanted to, because I needed the sensorial respite during mealtimes to restore my energies in order to keep up with the intensive program.
If only my beloved Lucy Like-a-Charm were still mortally extant, she would have come with me. Lucy was a Greyhound rescued from the racing industry in Australia. In our public life, she was my certified autism assistance dog; but in private, she became the Love of My Life - a symbiotic connection “non pareil.” She would have loved the beautiful surrounds of Schloss Leopoldskron as much as I did, an expanse of sensorially conducive space in which to thrive, what I call “Clement Space” in my research on sensory well-being. And no, Lucy does not chase any small animals, so the ducks and geese would be undisturbed. Without any harsh city cacophony to contend with, the only sensory warnings Lucy would have had to provide me were inside the seminar room, where the intense lighting triggered throbbing headaches, and the echoes and reverberations of voices during discussion sessions were overwhelming.
There were numerous remarkable artists, endeavors, and narratives that impacted me in Salzburg, but I am unable to describe them all in this short article. The one artistic encounter that left the deepest mark on my consciousness was Filipino filmmaker Breech Harani’s beautiful, detail-focused, sensitive yet ruggedly eloquent documentary film, “Reflection in the Marsh," about the Manobong Agusanon people of Agusan Marsh and their struggle with advancing environmental conundrums. The film showing session was late in the evening, after a very long and busy day, and I was physically and mentally exhausted, but when “Reflection in the Marsh” began to unfold, I felt the warm, energizing embrace of Lucy’s presence rising from within. Breech’s nuanced, intuitively tender, yet strongly compelling storytelling literally burned a path through my tired senses, igniting warm glowing sparks of contemplations that kept me wide awake into the wee hours thereafter.
Embedded deep in my sensory memory are the breathtaking scene of the lone row boat slowly cutting its way through thick marshland vegetation; whimsical shots of a light brown dog looking out over the water, and then intently watching their humans cleaning and preparing little fish for dinner; a quick glimpse of tiny leaves floating in the water; and an unforgettable brief moment where the camera lingers on a tin roof softly fluttering in the wind. I have always felt a strong connection with the beyond-human animal and natural dimension since childhood, convinced that humans cannot be complete without deeper communion with the wider realm of parallel embodiments and alternative sentiences.
Apart from briefly sharing an extract from my multimodal work, “Scheherazade’s Sea: Continuing Journey,” part of my story about an Autistic woman whose life was both restored and transformed by a meek canine entity, I was there to listen, observe, learn, and enlarge my perspectives. Fellows from around the world brought powerful narratives and passionate glimpses of purposeful work being activated against monumental odds.
Although vastly different from one another, I realized that we share one commonality: our very existences are acts of resistance. We are all taking and holding space, carrying out our life’s missions, stubbornly prevailing, creating beauty, championing hope, and making change, despite alienating, oppressive, and assaultive milieus.
Thank you, Salzburg Global, for this experience of discovery, connectivity, activation, and wonderment.
Dawn-joy Leong is a proudly Autistic multi-form artist, musician, author, and speaker whose work has been showcased in Hong Kong, Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and most recently, China. Her creative journey is deeply intertwined with her late muse and beloved greyhound, Lucy Like-a-Charm, who is prominently featured in Dawn-joy's ongoing magnum opus, "Scheherazade's Sea - Wake Up in My Dreams," a multidisciplinary memoir-fantasie chronicling her life as a late-discovered Autistic woman and her extraordinary adventures with Lucy. Dawn-joy's research interests focus on autistic sensory idiosyncrasies, alternative material and elemental empathies, and interspecies empathic resonance. Her work explores the unique connectivity between Autistic individuals and the non-human realm, offering profound insights into alternative modes of empathy and understanding. Dawn-joy continues to inspire audiences worldwide through her art, music, writing, and advocacy, fostering deeper appreciation for the richness of neurodivergent perspectives.
