Episode: Sharks, Scripts & Showing Up Neurodivergent Guest: Tierra Porter — Actor, musician, writer, and neurodivergent artist of Indigenous American, African, and Puerto Rican descent. Tierra has toured internationally with Missoula Children's Theatre, graduated with First Class Honours from The Lir Academy, and recently performed at the Gate, Abbey, and Dublin Theatre Festival stages.

Host: Al Bellamy Producer: Ian Lawton

Episode summary

This joyful and energising conversation with Tierra Porter moves from ocean documentaries to Shakespeare, from overstimulation to art as survival. Tierra shares her journey of discovering she's neurodivergent, emigrating from Georgia to Ireland to pursue acting, and building a thriving career across stage and screen. The episode explores arts access, creative self-expression, identity, community, friendship, and Tierra's work-in-progress solo piece on being Two-Spirit and neurodivergent.

Key takeaways

• Discovering you're neurodivergent gives you the language to accommodate yourself, instead of thinking you're broken.

• Neurodivergent people often adapt and survive in education by masking — later realising what they've internalised only in adulthood.

• Ireland's arts scene, while small, provides exceptional opportunity and access, especially compared to the U.S.

• There's power in creating your own work, especially as a multiply marginalised artist — and in building circular mentorship models.

• Friendship for neurodivergent people can mean deep connection, low demand, and showing up when it matters.

• Not adhering to social hierarchies in arts spaces can be a radical, grounding act — "we're in the same room, we're equals."

• Authentic inclusion must move beyond casting to centre stories created by neurodivergent artists, not just about them.

• Creating art from intersectional identity — Black, Indigenous, Two-Spirit, neurodivergent — is both healing and political.

Topics & timestamps

• 00:00–02:49 — Introductions; when Tierra first discovered she was neurodivergent.

• 02:49–04:56 — Gospel roots, theatre training, magnet schools and early performance life.

• 04:56–06:37 — Surviving school while neurodivergent; lack of supports and constant performance.

• 06:37–09:35 — Moving to Ireland; fourth-choice surprise; finding community through questions.

• 09:35–13:29 — Navigating emigration as a neurodivergent student; planning, mentorship, building connections.

• 13:29–17:01 — Ireland vs. U.S. arts systems: funding, access, and opportunity.

• 17:01–20:58 — Giving back through spreadsheets and mentorship; community care as cultural norm.

• 20:58–23:49 — Writing her solo piece: Afro Latin Dierican; ukulele, audience play, DJing, and Two-Spirit joy.

• 23:49–25:50 — Two-Spirit identity, cultural meaning, and self-expression.

• 25:50–30:06 — Friendship as a neurodivergent artist; low-demand closeness; birds of a feather.

• 30:06–34:02 — Not adhering to social hierarchies: rehearsal room stories, treating everyone the same.

• 34:02–36:45 — Celebrity encounters, Irish humility, and "notions" culture.

• 36:45–39:16 — Future hopes: stories by neurodivergent people, not just about us.

• 39:16–42:33 — Current project: The Crucible at the Gaiety; history, roles, performance dates.

• 42:33–44:25 — No dream role—only a dream life; living as an employed American artist in Europe.

• 44:25–45:35 — Shark documentaries, the ampullae of Lorenzini, and fun neuro facts to close.

Resources mentioned

• The Gaiety Theatre — The Crucible Tickets

• Access Baliman Programme (contextual mention)

• Rachel Baptiste Programme

• Ampullae of Lorenzini — Electroreception in sharks

• Magical Negro trope — Cultural critique reference

• Missoula Children's Theatre — U.S. touring company

• The Lir Academy — Trinity College Dublin's drama school

• Smock Alley Theatre — Dublin arts venue, supports new writing

• Two-Spirit identity (Native American context) — Cultural explanation

Pull quotes

• "Ireland was my fourth choice. Now I don't want to leave."

• "I've started a Google Sheet on immigration and I send it to everyone."

• "Community is everything. Inconvenience is the cost of belonging."

• "We're in the same room—we're equals. Why should I humble myself to you?"

• "I want neurodivergent stories told by us, not about us."

• "Sharks have evolved to sense electromagnetic waves. I think that's neat."

Credits

Host: Al Bellamy Guest: Tierra Porter Producer: Ian Lawton Recorded for the Neuroconvergence Podcast