Figueres a Escena

Designing sensory-friendly performances for neurodiverse audiences

Neurodivergent audiences include autistic people, people with ADHD, and others with sensory processing, attention, or communication differences that shape a theatre visit. A performance can meet building standards yet still feel exhausting if its cues are unpredictable, the room offers no escape, or every response is amplified through a microphone. At Figueres a Escena, our work across Teatre El Jardí, Sala La Cate, and ATEB treats access as part of artistic design, not an add-on bolted on after a show is confirmed.

Sensory-friendly performances reduce avoidable demands while preserving the work’s creative intent. They may adjust house lights, volume, strobe effects, scent, pacing, or the size of the audience, but they do not imply that neurodivergent people want a lesser version of theatre. The aim is a visit in which people can predict what will happen, choose how to participate, and recover without having to explain their needs repeatedly.

Good design begins with people who use it. We invite autistic adults, young people with ADHD, families, support workers, educators, and performers to test ideas before opening bookings. Their lived experience guides decisions about warnings, queues, captions, audience interaction, and quiet spaces. We also treat access as a process rather than a fixed product: preferences change from person to person and from one production to the next.

For audiences and partners in Australia, the approach should also reflect the federal Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and accessibility requirements embedded in state and territory building codes. Those frameworks help establish a baseline of step-free routes, accessible toilets, clear information, and reasonable adjustments. They also remind us that a theatre can be physically compliant while still asking some visitors to navigate uncertainty, noise, and social expectation without support.

Listen to the people who attend

We use short, optional access surveys at booking, information sessions, and post-show conversations. Questions focus on what helps rather than demanding a diagnosis: Would you benefit from a quieter entrance, an interval, ear defenders, a companion ticket, or a visual schedule? Giving advance notice lets us plan staffing and space, while “not sure yet” keeps every choice open.

Australian audiences are not a single preference group. Many autistic and ADHD community members use identity-first language, while others prefer person-first wording; we ask rather than assume. We use the plain terms people themselves use—“quiet”, “less strobe”, “no surprise”, and “early entry”—rather than theatre jargon or broad labels such as “special needs”. This language makes requests easier to recognise and act on.

Access information should travel with the ticket. We publish it in the listing, confirmation email, and pre-show reminder, with the same core details each time: doors, runtime, interval, age guidance, expected sound and light effects, access routes, seating choices, and where support can be found. A named staff contact is more useful than a vague promise to “do our best”.

Shape the whole sensory journey

Before doors open, we map the sensory journey: getting to the venue, queueing, buying a ticket, finding a seat, using the toilet, and leaving early. The foyer has predictable lighting, a place to sit, and a clear view of quieter routes. Where possible, volunteers welcome people away from the busiest entrance and offer ear defenders without requiring a request through a public queue.

In Melbourne and Sydney, a theatre visit may involve a crowded station, a tram or bus ride, and a queue outside a venue during a busy festival calendar. Accessible drop-off, step-free arrival details, a lower-traffic entry window, and travel guidance remove barriers before the performance begins. In Brisbane and other growing cultural cities, clear wayfinding is equally important when several venues share a precinct.

Weather also shapes access. In Darwin, heavy rain and humidity can make an outdoor queue or foyer uncomfortable, while Melbourne’s changeable winter affects whether people can wait outside. Covered waiting, drinking water, seating, temperature control, and an obvious indoor route support wheelchair users, people with fatigue, and families who cannot stand for long. Quiet areas need the same practical care, including dimmable lights and clear signage.

Keep participation flexible on stage

On stage, we distinguish meaningful artistic choices from accidental sensory overload. A sudden blackout, crowd participation, physical contact, or rapid lighting may be central to the work, but its intensity should be understood in rehearsal and communicated in advance. Warnings never replace careful design; they give people information they can use to choose a seat, bring support, or plan an early exit.

Choice continues through the show. Performers can offer a low-stimulus entrance or exit, avoid forced eye contact, and explain when the audience is expected to respond. Some productions create a relaxed version with fewer participants, shorter run times, and lower house lighting, while maintaining the same story. Families can see whether a session suits their child before committing to a full performance.

For Deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences, Auslan interpretation and live captioning are core access tools, while captioned and audio-described presentations open visual information to more people. We plan interpreter placement, caption screens, audio-description devices, lighting contrast, and performer movement during rehearsal rather than on show day. A clear map of those features also helps people choose suitable seating.

Recommendations for building an inclusive performance culture

Australian event ticketing often needs to serve city festivals, school-holiday programmes, and regional tours, so access information must remain useful across different buildings and audiences. A consistent set of access notes should travel with the production, while local details are updated for each venue. Publishing the notes in the event listing and booking flow makes choice possible before money and travel are committed.

At Sala La Cate, our monthly open mic night models another useful principle: recurring participation makes the room familiar, gives newcomers a chance to observe, and helps staff build relationships. Pairing this format with advance access notes, a low-stimulation waiting area, and an explicit choice of performing, helping, or simply listening would make the model more accessible.

Keep improving the welcome

We review each event with short surveys, focus groups, staff debriefs, and observation from the audience’s perspective. The questions are specific: Did the sound level build unexpectedly? Could you leave without crossing the audience? Was staff guidance clear? Were captions and seating easy to find? Publishing what changed, and what still needs work, turns access into an ongoing cycle rather than a badge on a poster.

Artists, front-of-house teams, technicians, volunteers, and cleaners should share the same access plan and know what to do when an audience member becomes overwhelmed. A small, private place to pause, a clear way to ask for help, and permission to re-enter can prevent a temporary difficulty from ending someone’s visit. Support should be available without making the visitor explain their diagnosis.

If you work in performance, education, or community programming, contact Figueres a Escena to arrange a consultation with our team. We can review sensory profiles, rehearse access adjustments, and help adapt workshops, talks, and community activities for autistic and other neurodivergent participants. If you are coming to a show, share your access needs with the box office when booking, then tell us what worked or what created friction. Small, specific details give us a sound basis for making the next visit calmer, clearer, and more welcoming for everyone.