Award-winning OSMose project recognized for reimagining concert accessibility for neurodivergent children.
Every child deserves to experience the magic of music. But for many neurodivergent children, traditional concert settings remain overwhelming and inaccessible. That’s what inspired a collaboration between the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM) and Eve-Marie Quintin, a TACC member and Associate Professor at McGill University.
With support from TACC’s Partners for Change initiative, researchers, musicians, families, and autistic individuals came together to co-create something transformative: OSMose, a series of inclusive concerts designed to welcome neurodiverse audiences into the heart of the symphonic experience.
Get an inside look at how inclusive concert design can create welcoming, life-changing experiences for neurodivergent audiences. (Production: Aura Strategies, September 2023)
“OSMose was guided by one simple principle,” explains Quintin. “The autistic child’s experience should be at the centre of how we think about access. We asked: how can we make the concert hall truly inclusive—not just physically, but socially and emotionally too?”
Led by Mélanie Moura, OSM’s Head of Youth Programming and Mediation, and with contributions from autistic researcher Cassiea Sim, the team developed tailored accommodations and post-concert surveys to evaluate both traditional and inclusive formats. The impact was clear: 90% of children attending OSMose school concerts were neurodivergent, compared to 58% for traditional performances.
Families shared moving feedback, with themes of freedom, social acceptance, gratitude, and belonging echoing throughout the surveys. “It was the first time many families felt seen and welcomed in a public cultural space,” says Moura.
This video, available via the OSM website, offers a moving behind-the-scenes look at the OSMose project and its inclusive approach to concert design for neurodivergent children. (Production: Resonance Creative, April 2023)
In recognition of its impact, OSMose was awarded the 2024 Prix Opus for Youth Production of the Year, along with a prize from Quebec’s Ministry of Culture and Communications.
This success is only the beginning. Insights from the project are already informing OSM’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee. A knowledge mobilization video co-produced by Spectrum Productions, a local organization that employs autistic creatives, ensures that the project’s lessons can be shared widely and replicated by other institutions.