For many people living with autism, doing to a concert or the theatre is a no go. Bright lights can be confronting, loud noises and quick temperature changes. Now, a project led by autistic people is running inclusive events and training staff. At some of the country’s biggest cultural hubs.
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00:00As a family, being together is our favourite thing.
00:10We built a lot of Lego in this house.
00:16We love board games.
00:19We did it.
00:20There's a bit of baking that goes on in this house, but the big obsession is the dog.
00:24We love our dog.
00:26The Lobseys' house is a hub of activity.
00:31When we're home and it's just us, that's the happy place.
00:35The biggest thing is we can be ourselves.
00:39Everyone in this family is autistic and highly sensitive to the stimulus around them.
00:45Mum Madeline says leaving the house has always been a struggle.
00:50Not because the family doesn't want to, but because the world doesn't cater for their
00:54sensory needs.
00:58Anywhere with a crowd can be a challenge, including the supermarket.
01:04If you think about all the different music that's playing in the background, and then
01:09all the voices that are going, and then all the beeping of machinery, tins hitting cupboards,
01:20often it's fluorescent light and very bright.
01:25You can go through lots of temperatures.
01:27You know that experience where you walk past the breezes and it's cold?
01:32My heart rate's really high.
01:34I start getting lots of tension in my body.
01:38I'll often get headaches really fast too because the light will impact me so much.
01:46When you know yourself as someone who's intelligent, and then you're confused by what seems like
01:52the most basic thing, that's really frustrating.
01:55And I nearly left twice at shows.
01:58Madeline's been a director and actor for decades, and knows what it's like when venues don't
02:04cater for autistic people.
02:07To change that, she's working with the A-List Hub, an organisation creating events at some
02:12of Australia's biggest cultural institutions, and training staff in how to support the community.
02:18There are many venues that do things like relaxed performances and quiet hours.
02:26How do we go to the next evolution where that's just standard practice, and my family doesn't
02:32have to go at a certain time on a certain day to be able to experience the arts?
02:42It is a complete myth that autistic people, like myself, are not social beings.
02:46We just socialise in a way that is different to what you would expect.
02:52Artist Bec Street has been working as a consultant on the project.
02:56Today she's at a sensory-friendly dance workshop in Sydney.
03:00The size of the class has been reduced, and a number of other adjustments have been made.
03:05So we've set it up so that it's nice and dim in here, we've turned all the lights off actually.
03:11Bec says making spaces autism-friendly isn't just about restrictions.
03:16It's also about creating what she calls sensory joy.
03:20We have lots of opportunities in these spaces to play and experiment with different materials.
03:27There's just so much joy to be found in the senses.
03:31Those behind the project know change won't happen overnight, but they're confident their
03:36work will put the arts sector on a path to inclusion, one venue at a time.