Live Nation is teaming up with the non-profit KultureCity to create more inclusive fan experiences at live events.
The entertainment company announced in July that 25 Live Nation-owned venues across the U.S. and Canada are now “sensory inclusive.”
Per the press release, the certified venues include staff members who have been trained to “recognize and support the needs of fans who may think or process things differently.” They also have reusable “sensory bags” filled with items designed to “reduce sensory overload and enhance comfort” of all fans who might need it, regardless of age. Signs are posted in the venues to direct patrons to sensory bag pickup locations and quiet zones as needed. Plus, a KultureCity app integration helps fans find these sensory-inclusive venues and plan their outing ahead of time.
“We’re committed to making sure fans feel welcome at our venues and we’re extremely proud of this certification,” said Karl Adams, Head of Venue Operations for Live Nation in a statement. “Thanks to our partnership with KultureCity, our venues are taking a new approach to hospitality and improving fan experience.”
“This is the largest partnership of its kind in live entertainment, which means that fans with sensory processing needs have access to more live music than ever before,” said KultureCity Executive Director Uma Srivastava in a statement. “By partnering with Live Nation, we are scaling our impact and redefining what it means to create inclusive spaces.”
Some participating venues on the east coast include the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, NJ; The Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, PA; and Broadview Stage at SPAC in Saratoga Springs, NY.
Pamela Rae Schuller, a disabled comedian and storyteller with Tourette syndrome (TS) who is also a frequent audience member at live events, told Able News she finds Live Nation and KultureCity’s focus on sensory inclusivity in venues across the US both exciting and necessary.
“When we do things to widen the net, especially in the arts, it benefits many more people than we expect,” she said.
Schuller hasn’t performed at any of the venues with sensory inclusive features yet in her career, but she wants to. As a person of short stature who sometimes needs to make noise or take a break due to TS, she said staff training will be the most helpful accommodation for her. Unfortunately, some of the most difficult encounters Schuller has had as a patron of the arts involved insensitive staff members.
As an entertainer, Schuller is grateful for the addition of clearer signage directing people to accommodations. Sometimes people will message her with questions about the venue and she wishes she could help, but doesn’t always know the answer.
Schuller envisions a scenario in which both staff and performers are trained to be more welcoming of people with different needs in their audiences, but for now, she believes in celebrating every positive step forward to create a more welcoming performing arts field.
“If I walk into every space judging it, then I think that comes off on stage as opposed to celebrating and pushing us [toward more inclusivity].”