Title

Embracing Differences: The Evolution of Adaptive Concert Design

Length

60 minutes

Format

Zoom workshop/lecture with PowerPoint presentation and discussion questions

Description

If access to the arts and culture is a human right, why don’t most arts events take the full spectrum of human diversity into account? Twenty-two percent of Canadians have an identified disability, and many of those people face social and systemic barriers to inclusion to participation in the arts. In this workshop, violist and concert designer Rory McLeod will explore ways that musicians and arts presenters can adapt their programming and the concert environment to embrace neurodiversity and disability.

Biography

Rory McLeod is a musician, entrepreneur, and concert designer who takes joy in creating authentic human connections through shared musical experiences. As Executive and Artistic Director of Xenia Concerts, he works with stakeholders in the disability and neurodiversity community, presenting partners, and performing artists to co-create concert experiences that are inclusive for people who face social and systemic barriers to inclusion. Determined to widen the circle of inclusion in the performing arts, Rory is pursuing his Master’s in Inclusive Design at OCAD University. Rory is also the founder and Co-director of Pocket Concerts, an organization that presents intimate concert experiences in alternative venues all over the GTA. Rory believes that music is a catalyst to emotional connection: he brings an enthusiastic spirit of collaboration to his performances in chamber music festivals across North America and with the Canadian Opera Company and National Ballet Orchestras.