Zoyander Street
Living as a neurodivergent, queer transgender person who was recently diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Zoyander Street has taken their personal experiences and used them to develop influential creative works. Working as an Artist-Researcher, Zoyander strives to shed light on perspectives that are oftentimes overlooked in society, and amplify the voices and needs of marginalised communities.
Although originally from Rotherham, Zoyander's artistic career as an artist-researcher has taken them on a decade-long journey across many corners of the world. From Cambridge to London, to California to Japan, Zoyander worked to promote their works to a broad audience and enhance their skills, before returning back to Rotherham where they now are studying towards a part-time PHD in sociology at Lancaster University.
Zoyander's artistic practice revolves around dissecting the societal and cultural influences of science and technology, with a particular focus on the realm of interactive media and video games. This captivation, according to Zoyander, stemmed from the self-found joy they discovered within the art of the non-linear. To them, games serve as a unique format of art, representing a need for systematic thinking alongside profound creative expression. As a developer, the art comes from the understanding of structure in the design process and drawing from skills required to build games, while for an audience it can serve as a transporting medium bringing people into worlds built entirely from imagination.
Through these new worlds, Zoyander was inspired to create impactful games that tackle social-philosophical issues in a way that is moving and thought provoking. By doing this, it creates a space to promote new dialogue and raise awareness amongst the audience to discuss. One of their recent projects, titled "Cis Penance," is an interactive game-documentary that uses its narrative to delve into the experiences of real transgender individuals in the UK as they navigate receiving gender-affirming care from the NHS and challenges posed to them due to lengthy wait times.
Recently however, Zoyander's focus has evolved after becoming diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis last year. Since then Zoyander has gained heightened awareness of the accessibility barriers faced by individuals with MS. MS symptoms, which may include fatigue, muscular weakness, and sensory vulnerabilities such as sensitive eyes and blurred vision can impede an individual's ability to engage with activities such as gaming. Motivated by this newfound understanding, Zoyander is now dedicated to promoting accessibility in his own projects, such as by working to include the integration of helper tools such as advanced screen reader software, text-to-speech capabilities and developing game functionality with accessibility in mind, such as building the interface elements to be more friendly to those with MS.
To aid this goal, Zoyander has since obtained Developing Your Creative Practice (DYCP) funding from the Arts Council UK. This funding will support their learning about accessible design for the web and games going forward.
