Non traditional orchestra

A common autistic special interest is music, myself included. But traditional theatre and orchestra environments are not the most flexible nor suited to people like me. But the Australian chamber orchestra is changing things with their autism friendly classical concerts.

With a breathtaking view of the harbour bridge, the ACO invites you to explore a new way to listen and embrace classical music. At pier 2 ⁄ 3 the ACO plays its relaxed performances, with flexible seating, adjusted lighting, sound levels plus a quiet area, the ACO is making the orchestra more accessible.

I was Lucky enough to talk to the producer, Anna Healey.                  

V “what made you want to start doing relaxed performances, what inspired you to do something like this?”

A “Traditionally classical music isn’t a genre of art that has been accessible for a greater amount of people,”

A “Traditional concert halls and settings and some of the some of the traditional ways we watch classical music doesn’t make it very accessible for people who are neurodiverse or have disabilities”

A “So it means all these people are missing out on all these beautiful shows,”

A “For us it was making an experience that people who don’t normally feel comfortable in traditional concert halls, can come and experience that beautiful orchestra”

V “what was it like preparing for an event like this, there must of been a lot of research and inquiring”

A “We started our first relaxed performances last year in 2022, and we had five relaxed performances with the main orchestra”

Four of these were for their children’s shows, with Auslan and audio described performances alongside the relaxed shows.

“For us it’s been a constant state of learning, it’s been about consulting with industry leaders in accessibility and the disability space, and trying to give feedback on people’s experiences. Every time wanting to make it a more comfortable and inclusive experience for people that come”

Please look out for their next performance in the series of autism friendly classical concerts.  “Dvořák Serenade” on August 17 2023, it’s not something to pass up on!

Tickets are $10.00 each and I couldn’t recommend it more!

Veronika – A List Ambassador