What happens when an organization commits to accessibility as part of its artistic vision? Gallery Players of Niagara is showing what's possible.
Category: News
Announcing Our 2026–2027 Adaptive Concert Season!
Xenia Concerts is proud to announce its 2026–2027 Adaptive Concert Season, featuring an inspiring lineup of Canadian and internationally acclaimed artists in accessible, family-friendly performances across Toronto, Mississauga, and Markham.
Introducing The Accessibility Accelerator Podcast!
We’re thrilled to welcome you to The Accessibility Accelerator Podcast, a new series from Xenia Concerts hosted by Kalyce Carter, Accessibility Coordinator. This podcast celebrates the brilliance of disabled, chronically ill, and neurodivergent artists and arts workers while exploring how accessibility can transform the ways we create, produce, learn, and experience the arts.
The “What” and the “Why” of Adaptive Concerts
The “What” and the “Why” of Adaptive Concerts: Adaptive Concerts are family-friendly musical events designed to meet the diverse accessibility needs of as many people as possible.
Accessing The Arts – A New Study by Xenia Concerts & Canada Excellence Research Chair in Health Equity and Community Wellbeing
Xenia Concerts, in partnership with the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Health Equity and Community Wellbeing (CERC-HECW), is excited to announce the publication of their groundbreaking study, "Accessing the Arts: Accounting for Neurodiversity and Disability in Performing Arts Feedback Methods."
Artist Training Program
We’ve got big news at Xenia Concerts. After two and a half years of piloting our Artist Training Program with over 100 artists, we are now ready to offer it to musicians around the world!
We started this project for one simple reason: they don’t teach this stuff in music school. Musicians train for thousands of hours to hone their craft, but don’t necessarily learn about the diverse considerations that go into planning an accessible, neurodiversity-friendly performance. We are filling that gap.
The training helps artists understand a diverse spectrum of abilities and sensory experiences so that they can design events that are inclusive and welcoming for neurodiverse audiences. Our long-term vision is to help artists and arts organizations across Canada make their concert experiences more neurodiversity- and disability-friendly.
Program Overview:
-3.5 hours of pre-recorded webinars, with reflection questions for each of the 7 modules
-A one-hour synchronous discussion session with Erin Parkes, Kaylce Carter, Rory McLeod, and Bruce Petherick
-A guidebook on how to design and deliver accessible, inclusive musical programming
-Support in planning your own adaptive concert program
Artists learn about…
Barriers to Inclusion: Challenges that prevent or dissuade participation in music performance for neurodiverse populations and those with disabilities, including physical, sensory, geographic, attitudinal, and financial barriers.
Language and Disability: Exploring various models of disability; understanding the importance of language use in the disability community; how to approach language issues with respect.
Basics of Common Diagnoses: Outline of the characteristics of diagnoses through a strengths-based lens, including autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, learning disabilities, FASD, and more.
Creating a Supportive Sensory Environment: Understanding differences in sensory processing for neurodiverse populations; adaptive strategies to support diverse sensory needs in the environment and concert program.
Communicating with Clarity: Discussing both verbal and non-verbal communication techniques to engage concertgoers with varying communication support needs.
The Adaptive Concert Experience: What to expect from the audience; managing the unexpected; balancing structure and flexibility.
Creative Engagement through Performance: Ways in which performers can engage with audiences with diverse needs through adaptive interactive activities.
Special thanks to those who helped develop, fund, and deliver this program: Erin Parkes, Bruce Petherick, Kaylce Carter, and TO Live
To learn more or register, visit https://xenia-concerts.learnworlds.com/course/xenia-artist-training-program
Xenia Concerts Embarks on Three New Partnerships!
We are proud to announce three amazing new partnerships that expand the ways that Xenia Concerts brings exceptional performing arts experiences to our audiences, connects communities, and fosters accessibility!
Xenia Concerts is seeking a new Board Member!
Xenia Concerts is excited to announce an opportunity to join our Board of Directors. We are seeking a passionate individual who shares our commitment to accessibility and the transformative power of music.
Xenia Concerts on the CBC!
We talked with Natalie Harmsen about our how we're improving and redefining accessibility, one concert at a time and creating an inclusive experience for music lovers.
Welcome Danielle!
We are delighted to welcome Danielle Licorish to the Xenia Concerts team as a Summer Research Assistant. This position is made possible through a partnership between Xenia Concerts and Toronto Metropolitan University through the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Health Equity and Community Wellbeing.
About Danielle
Danielle Licorish is an interdisciplinary writer and creative from Scarborough. Through her passion for storytelling and community engagement, she hopes to facilitate transformative change in the world.
Danielle has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Professional Communication and a minor in Sociology. She is a skilled communications practitioner with experience producing effective textual, visual, and oral communications within organizations. Since 2018, her academic, professional and volunteer pursuits have focused on accessible community outreach programming for equity-seeking students and groups.
Danielle’s lived experience as a Black, queer, disabled femme informs her vision of community, belonging, and access for all. Critical Discourse Analysis, Critical Race Theory, and Critical Disability Studies most commonly influence her research.
Regardless of the role or medium, Danielle strives to create bodies of work that inspire, educate, and spark critical thought.
As Xenia’s Summer Research Assistant, Danielle is able to combine her love of learning and disability justice with her appreciation for music and the arts. This role is a shared partnership between Xenia Concerts and the Canada Excellence Research Chair – Health Equity and Community Wellbeing.
[Image Description: A woman smiles toward the camera, wearing a black top and jeans. She is standing in front of a colourful wall painted yellow.]