Calling Autistic* Youth Who Love Music: Have Your Say!
Xenia Concerts, Canada’s neurodiversity-focused concert series, is building a small and dynamic team of Autistic* youth to help make concert experiences more autism-friendly. The Xenia Concerts ASD Youth Advisory Council will be self-directed and led by a member of the autism community, with support from Xenia Concerts staff and partners.
We are seeking four (4) candidates to serve as general council members, who:
- Are aged 14-20
- Self-identify as Autistic/a person with autism
- Are interested in music
- Want to help make live concerts more enjoyable for the autism and neurodiversity community
- Want to develop professional skills like communication, organization, and event design in a warm and welcoming environment
Additionally, we are seeking one (1) candidate to lead the meetings as Council Chair. This candidate should meet the above description and have:
- Strong organizational and leadership skills
- Prior experience on a committee or council (e.g., student council, youth group)
As a member of the ASD Youth Advisory Council (YAC), you will play an important role in helping Xenia Concerts improve its accessibility practices and spread knowledge of neurodiversity-friendly practices. Here are some of the things you’ll discuss:
- How to adapt physical spaces to create an autism-friendly environment
- How to design concert experiences that appeal to Autistic children, youth, and their families
- How to prepare audiences for their first concert experience
- How musicians, staff, and volunteers can create a supportive environment for neurodivergent listeners
As a member of the YAC, your duties will include:
- Preparing for meetings
- Communicating with other council members and Xenia Concerts staff via email
- Meeting once a month on Zoom
- Discussing concert design and making recommendations
- Designing two concert experiences with the help of Xenia Concerts staff and musicians
Application deadline: March 31, 2023.
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Contact Alexandra Prefasi
*Based on feedback from individuals within the autism community, Xenia Concerts alternates between person first (i.e, person with autism) and identity-first (i.e., Autistic person) language. We continue to follow the evolution of language use within the autism, neurodiversity, and disability communities. In one-on-one interactions, we follow the preferences of the individual with lived experience.