Function Schmunction is a project all about celebrating and creating opportunities for authentic autistic play, joy and connection. The project seeks to include autistic individuals and their communities of all ages, life experiences, interests and needs.
The project is devised and led by autistic artist and playworker Max Alexander (also known as Play Radical!) in collaboration with/produced by Independent Arts Projects.
The project includes the Function Schmunction playground which had its first outing in Edinburgh during July 2023 followed by residencies in 2025 in North Edinburgh and Glasgow. The space includes myriad opportunities to dive into the senses and imagination with an endlessly deflating ball pit, hideaways for nesting, sonic plumbing devices to explore sounds and voice and a space to commune with pebbles and sticks. The space was created by Max and informed by over fifty individual play sessions with autistic participants that took place in parks, woodlands, living rooms, day centres and school classrooms.
Photos: Geraldine Heaney
Function Schmunction is also an exploration of what autistic play culture is and can be. Autistic play is something that has been and continues to be misunderstood, invisibilized and at worst pathologised and prevented. Function Schmunction provides an affirming and creative alternative lens always from an autistic perspective.
The project continued in 2025 through a collaboration with North Edinburgh Arts between June to August, bringing Function Schmunction to children and young people in the local community. This included 40 one-to-one and group play space sessions for young people from the area.
This autumn, the project continues with a residency at East Park School in Maryhill, Glasgow delivering sessions between September and December with Collaborating Artist & Play Worker, Amy Conway.
Max Alexander is a play worker, visual artist and consultant who specialises in working with children and young people who are disabled and/or have additional support needs. Max has ten years’ experience working with this population across school, playground, and community settings.
Max’s experience includes 5 years as Playworker at The Yard in Edinburgh, and at Artlink Edinburgh where he has worked for the past 3 years delivering 1-to-1 personalised play and art sessions for young people excluded from mainstream arts activities. Max has worked with Independent Arts Projects since 2021, devising and leading participatory arts projects as well as delivering training and creating resources to share his knowledge.
Max creates and co-creates spaces for play, exploration, and connection with a focus on neurodivergent joy and ways of relating. Max is passionate about access to artistic, playful, and creative experiences for neurodivergent and disabled individuals and the idea of beautiful creative accessibility is central to his work. You can learn more about Max at playradical.com.
Function Schmunction was originally developed as part of the Sensory Collective, a 21-month long project (2021-23) exploring sensory arts practice across Scotland for Autists, people with PMLD and those living with Dementia. It was 1 of 26 participative arts projects supported by Culture Collective and funded by Scottish Government emergency Covid-19 funds through Creative Scotland.
Function Schmunction 2025 is supported by Creative Scotland, players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, the Scottish Government through the Youth Arts Open Fund, and supporters of the Function Schmunction fundraiser in 2024.
