How Xenia Concerts is improving accessibility, 1 show at a time

"I'm like a bird, I only fly away," sings R&B/jazz musician Jennarie, her rich vocals filling the room as she belts out a cover of Nelly Furtado's hit. But this isn't a typical concert for Jennarie: next to her is Gaitrie Killings, an interpreter who signs the lyrics to the audience. 

That's because this is a Xenia Concert, where everyone is encouraged to sing along, dance or stim — which is a repetitive behaviour, such as making sounds or moving one's body — while some concertgoers hold fidget toys and others sit by a table offering blankets and earmuffs. At the end of the performance, some people clap while others shake their hands in the air to applaud in American Sign Language (ASL).

Accommodations such as these are how Xenia Concerts embraces accessibility to make live music enjoyable for neurodiverse and disabled audiences. The non-profit works with artists and concertgoers across Canada to adapt performances to audience needs by providing sensory toys, ASL interpretation, quiet areas, visual descriptions and more. No two shows are the same, because accessibility "is a living and breathing thing," according to Xenia's accessibility coordinator, Kayla Carter. 

"As someone who's chronically ill and neurodivergent, [it's] really understanding that the experience of being disabled and chronically ill and neurodivergent is one of being in constant flux, and the fact that our needs change," they said. "And that's also something that I do a lot of, is auditing our concerts to figure out what needs to change [and] how can we better approach things. So even if it's something as simple as having better signage, [or using] more visuals for our audiences, [it] is definitely a step that we can take towards more accessibility."

Breaking down barriers to live music

Approximately eight million Canadians reported having at least one disability in 2022, and 72 per cent reported having encountered some type of barrier to accessibility, according to Statistics Canada. Barriers to seeing a concert can be physical, such as inaccessible venues or lighting that is not sensory-friendly, but they can also be intangible, such as a lack of information about concert programming. 

"A person might become easily overwhelmed in a new environment where they have to navigate social situations that they might not have experienced before," explained Xenia's executive and artistic director, Rory McLeod. "And just not knowing what to expect is often anxiety-inducing enough to prevent somebody from buying a ticket."

Some barriers can be addressed by artists adapting how they perform, which is why Xenia Concerts has offered training for musicians to plan inclusive and neurodiversity-friendly shows since 2022.

Juno-winning group Okan participated in the program and violinist Elizabeth Rodriguez was surprised by what she learned.

"I remember for me, the most interesting part was [learning] we have to describe everything that was happening onstage for the people [who] are visually impaired and I [thought], I talk a lot onstage, but I've never described what am I wearing [or] what are the instruments," she said.

"One question I had after the training was, 'OK, so if [a show] needs to be potentially low stimulation for someone with autism, but then maybe higher stimulation for someone with ADHD, how do we balance those two needs in one concert experience?'" said Jennarie, who also went through the program. 

I feel like I have this new freedom to enjoy concerts the way that I need with ADHD, as well as putting on concerts for people who are neurodivergent.- Jennarie

"And I think the thing that I learned the most, is that you don't have to balance them all at one time," she said, explaining that certain sections of a show can have high-energy songs and others can be slower.

Jennarie, who has ADHD, said that she found the training "healing and cathartic," adding: "I feel like I have this new freedom to enjoy concerts the way that I need with ADHD, as well as putting on concerts for people who are neurodivergent."

Inclusivity is at the forefront of concert programming

Since barriers to live shows often extend beyond a live performance, Xenia Concerts also launched an accessibility accelerator in 2023. Led by Carter, the nationwide design team of disabled artists is working to identify hurdles, develop solutions and create resources for artists and arts organizations to support the needs of disabled and neurodivergent attendees.

"Having a program where disabled artists [and] arts workers are speaking about what needs to change with regards to accessibility in the arts, that is not new," Carter said. "What is really new, is having folks who are the most deeply impacted by the lack of accessibility within the arts and then also having them have a very strong [stake] in what those deliverables look like [and] what those resources look like."

But even with artist training and resources on inclusive shows, McLeod pointed out that the format of certain live shows may inherently create barriers for concertgoers. "There's a lot of culturally specific knowledge required to feel comfortable in a typical classical music setting," he said, citing being quiet or knowing when to applaud as examples. 

But Xenia Concerts can transform even the most traditional classical shows into more inclusive environments by implementing a "no-shush" policy, or selecting venues with portable chairs so that people can move around and dance in the aisles. A recent partnership between Xenia Concerts and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada will further help democratize the classical music experience, through a new program to train and support the young musicians on inclusive concert design and mental health. 

"We can't guarantee that everybody's needs are going to be met at every moment, but we're really working hard to meet their needs and [provide a space] where they can be themselves and not be judged by others," McLeod said.

Carter pointed out that first-time concertgoers are often surprised by what is offered at a show. "[We] always either hear caregivers or people who stumbled upon our concerts saying, 'Well, I didn't realize that I needed a weighted blanket during this performance. I didn't realize that I needed the permission to just move around and stand up. I didn't realize that I needed a visual guide to tell me how to get here.'"

"We never get too comfortable [and] think, 'Yeah, we're doing a great job.' It's like, no, of course we're doing a good job, but there's always room for improvement," Carter continued. "We want to show up for our community and collectively raise the standard for what accessibility and a dynamic understanding of that is."