Location
To fully include everyone in our music activities, we need to understand the barriers that stop people from attending, taking part or progressing. In the Conversation about inclusion series of events, hear about the issues from the perspective of those who directly experience barriers and discuss what we can do to change things from within our own music groups.
For this conversation, we are joined by composer Ben Lunn and Emeritus Professor Pam Heaton from Goldsmiths, University of London. We’ll be talking about the effects of autism on music making, the experiences of autistic musicians, and how music groups can remove barriers to better include them. An open discussion for musicians and the activity organisers who want to support them.
Ben Lunn is a composer whose music reflects his experiences; connecting to his North-Eastern heritage or how disability impacts the world around him or his working-class upbringing. He has become renowned for his championship of others, which has seen him creating collaborations with musicians from across the globe and developing unique concert experiences, including award winning work with Hebrides Ensemble and Drake Music Scotland. Ben took part in Making Music’s Adopt a Music Creator scheme in 2021 and in 2022 became the first North-East composer to be selected for the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Composer Scheme.
Pamela Heaton is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London whose research interest is musical cognition in autism. She originally trained as a classical singer, which drives her interest in the study of musical information processing, and has recently completed a book on music and autism with the emphasis on the lived experiences of autistic musicians.
This event will provide an informal space to discuss challenging issues. We want to encourage you to take part in the discussion, and we welcome your questions and contributions. The conversation will be facilitated by Making Music staff.
We'll talk about:
- The relationship between autism and musical cognition
- The experiences of autistic people in music environments
- The actions we can take in our music environments to better include autistic musicians
There will be an opportunity to ask questions via the chat function during the event.
Who this event is for: All leisure-time music makers and activity organisers with an interest in this topic are welcome to attend, and there will be an opportunity to ask questions and engage in the discussion.
Cost: FREE for members and non-members
We will be using Zoom to host the meeting, and will email you the joining link two days and again two hours before the event is due to start.
Places are limited, so reserve yours now.
Please read the event information below before reserving your place.
Registration for this event closes at 11.00am on 10 June 2024.
Event information:
- This event will be mainly discussion-focused
- Questions will be taken via the chat function at this event
- Automated closed captions (subtitles) will be available at this event. If you require live captioning, please contact us to request this
Expected event schedule:
- 1pm: welcome and how we will use the Zoom features
- 1.05pm: event topic
- 2.00pm: finish
Timings may vary on the day.
Inclusivity statement:
We aim to make our events as accessible as possible. If you have any particular accessibility requirements or if there is anything else we can do to help make the event a better experience for you, please let us know.
Cancellation policy:
Making Music reserves the right to cancel an event due to low attendance numbers, adverse weather conditions or other circumstances which make it no longer possible to run the event. If you have booked a place and Making Music cancels the event, we will offer you a full refund where applicable.
