Relaxed Concerts

About ASO Relaxed Concerts

Adelaide Symphony Orchestra is excited to continue to offer our Relaxed concerts. These performances are designed with accessibility in mind, part of the ASO’s greater commitment to inclusion, family and community.

Adelaide Symphony Orchestra’s Learning and Community Programs Manager Rachel Hicks said the relaxed performance are part of the ASO’s commitment to offering exceptional musical experiences that are accessible to all South Australians. “The Relaxed concerts are a wonderful collaboration; the orchestra valued working with Can:Do 4Kids, Access2Arts and Tutti Arts to create a relaxed performance outcome that is meaningful. Relaxed performances are created with accessibility in mind, designed to make artistic experiences and spaces more welcoming and comfortable for neurodiverse audience members, anyone on the autism spectrum, and people with vision or hearing challenges, sensory and/or communication needs or learning disabilities. With elements such as adjusted lighting and sound and sensory-friendly break-out spaces, many children and their families will be able to enjoy a live concert for the very first time. ”

Whilst family concerts provide an opportunity to experience the orchestra with your whole family. The family concerts are high energy, interactive and designed to delight and excite young and old. 

The Relaxed performances have been designed as a holistic experience through foyer and venue design elements and pre-concert venue wayfinding and communications.

Can:Do 4Kids are South Australia’s leading experts in vision, hearing and sensory services for children. Can:Do strives to build inclusive communities and give people the skills to live a life without limits.

Can:Do Group Client Services Manager Kate Rayner said the partnership with ASO will ensure that families now have an opportunity to see the ASO perform in a safe, accessible space with no judgement. She says, “Children with sensory needs can find standard concerts challenging and require a more relaxed environment where it is ok if a child approaches the conductor, claps loudly with enthusiasm during a movement or needs to leave the concert space to a break-out area where they can re-set. These concerts have been designed with both the child’s enjoyment and their caregiver in mind. The response has been overwhelmingly positive and parents of children with sensory needs have welcomed these new opportunities, because they can otherwise feel overwhelmed by public outings and have difficulty finding things to do as a family.”

ASO musician Emma Perkins knows first-hand the obstacles that families sometimes face when taking a child with sensory needs to live performances. Emma is very proud to be part of a project with such meaningful outcomes for families. She says, “As a musician, teacher and also parent of young children (including a child with extra challenges), I’ve seen the positive effects that live music can have on a child’s development and emotional wellbeing. It can be an incredibly powerful tool for learning and emotional regulation. However, finding a live performance setting that is appropriate for your child can be tricky and even daunting when you have a child with a disability or with additional needs. I feel very privileged to be part of the ASO’s relaxed concert program and hope that it will provide a fun and welcoming musical experience for all children, whilst also easing the anxiety that can be associated with attending a live performance for both children with additional needs and their parents.”