Sensory Friendly and Relaxed Events

Understanding the needs and desires of your audience is essential to providing appropriate programming. Some suggested steps are below:

• Engage the local neurodivergent community: Develop relationships with your local neurodivergent community and reach out for feedback early through surveys, focus groups, etc. Connect with local advocacy groups that are led by neurodivergent individuals for deeper insights. Provide compensation for those who participate.
• Learn about sensory processing: Understand sensory and cognitive processing from a social rather than a medical health model, considering the broader environment beyond just sensory accommodations. Utilize your community connections.
• Consider both children and adults: Sensory-friendly events should cater to the needs of both children and adults, so plan with a range of ages and sensory experiences in mind.

When figuring out potential areas for sensory-friendly programming, keep these tips in mind:

• Set specific, measurable goals: Identify the purpose of the event and what you hope to achieve, such as reducing sensory overload or providing a relaxed performance. Clarify the specific barriers you’re targeting so you can determine which modifications will be made.
• Clarify responsibilities and resources available: Identify the key staff and departments (marketing, visitor services, productions/exhibits, facilities, etc.) that should be involved in the planning and implementation of the event, and clearly define each role. Determine your budget, staff capacity, and time, and identify areas where external resources or support may be required.
• Clearly define your audience: Be specific about who the event is intended for (such as children, adults, or families) to ensure that your planning is focused and appropriate.

Your preparations for sensory-friendly experiences can involve many different considerations. Try to implement these best practices whenever possible:

• Consider factors beyond sensory ones: Sensory-friendly experiences should consider physical, cognitive, and social aspects. Consider modifying sound, lighting, crowd size, seating arrangements, and behavioral/audience expectations. Consider adding to or editing the content of activities, tours, and so forth. If you remove content (such as a video), find a way to provide that experience in an alternative way.
• Account for diverse sensory needs and venue characteristics: Sensory-friendly events require more than standard modifications like lowering sound and increasing light. Modifications should be tailored to the venue, considering factors such as the venue size, stage lighting, existing sound systems, and the needs of the specific audience (e.g., lowering sound may help those with sound sensitivities but could hinder those with sensory-seeking needs). Modifications should be thoughtfully balanced based on the venue’s context and feedback from neurodivergent communities and organizations.
• Respect the art: Focus on modifying the physical, sensory, cognitive, or social qualities of the theater house or exhibit space environment, not on altering the qualities or components of the artworks or performance elements themselves. If alterations (e.g., strobe lighting, sudden loud sounds) are necessary, these should be considered in dialogue with the artistic creators, curators, or producers.
• Ensure inclusivity and cultural relevance: Collaborate with neurodivergent advisory groups to develop and review materials, and when possible provide them in other languages spoken in your local community. Acknowledge the dominance of Western Euro-centric art and actively engage with diverse local communities to understand their unique cultural interests and needs.
• Develop pre-visit materials: Create clear, concise pre-visit materials (which may include social narratives) that provide essential information without overwhelming attendees. (See the Preparation/Know Before You Go Materials page in the Hub for more information.)
• Choose the right timing: Choose an appropriate time for your target audience, considering their needs and preferences. Where appropriate, consider providing programming before or after hours.
• Provide training: Ensure all members of staff and volunteers (including administration staff, public-facing staff, volunteers, and your board) are trained on accessibility, inclusive communication practices, and sensory processing.
• Work closely with performers and creatives: Ensure that your performers and creatives also receive training or clear information when involved with these events. Involve them in planning and preparation to manage expectations and to ensure that the experience is smooth and well supported.
• Identify potential triggers: Determine what concepts and experiences may be triggering to a neurodivergent visitor (i.e., surprise sensory experiences, loud noises, or content that could link to common triggers). Then identify these elements explicitly for your participants.

Getting the word out to relevant communities is an important part of enacting sensory-friendly programming. You can promote your event through these tips:

• Leverage existing communication channels: Use your usual advertising tools (email, social media, website, etc.) and engage with local community groups to spread the word. Encourage word-of-mouth promotion through these connections.
• Tailor the message to your audience: Make sure your advertisements are clear, accessible, and targeted to the community you aim to serve.
• Provide detailed information and guidance: Provide detailed information about the features of the event (e.g., what modifications will be made, what tools or supports will be available, expectations, timing, etc.) so participants can make informed choices. Offer resources such as social narratives, sensory maps, and other tools that might help participants prepare for the event.

During the event itself, keep these additional tips in mind:

• Offer sensory tools and options: Offer tools and resources that provide additional sensory support. Remember that some visitors may need supports and tools to reduce sensory input (such as noise canceling headphones, earplugs, and visors), while others may need tools that provide additional sensory input (such as assistive listening devices, fidget objects, and tactile materials). Plan to provide these with feedback from the community.
• Focus on providing a welcoming experience: During the event, ensure that staff are prepared to offer the best possible experience, while staying flexible to attendees’ needs.
• Stay adaptable: Be ready to adjust the environment and support as required, and to have adaptable solutions for different sensory experiences.
• Consider providing a relaxed/sensory space: A separate space may be helpful to some participants in some circumstances. Some general spaces, such as a theater lobby, may work as a quiet space during a performance, but not during intermission, so assess your space and audience needs and plan accordingly.

Finally, remember to focus on continuous improvement, keeping the following approaches in mind:

• Collect feedback after the event: Reach out to participants for their thoughts through surveys, focus groups, or other means. Use this feedback to refine future events and improve the sensory-friendly experience over time.