M E D I A  A D V I S O R Y

November 15, 2016 – Richmond, Virginia The Richmond Symphony’s Union Bank & Trust LolliPops concerts are now Sensory-Friendly and designed to create a performance experience where all audiences are welcome, including those with autism or other disabilities that create sensory sensitivities. This new initiative is designed to create concerts and facilities that are accessible to everyone. At Sensory-Friendly concerts, audience members will notice the following accommodations:

• House lights will remain at a low level during concerts.
• Audience members are welcome to enter and exit the Dominion Arts Center’s Carpenter Theatre as needed. They are free to walk around during the performance, particularly upstairs where there is space to move around easily.
• A Quiet Room will be available for audience members who would like a break from the performance. The lobby and Quiet Room will have video monitors where guests can watch and listen to the performance. The Quiet Room will also have family bathrooms, fidgets, ear plugs, mats and chairs available for any patrons who would like them.

Sensory-Friendly pre-visit stories are available for download at www.richmondsymphony.com. For additional information and questions, please contact Aimee Halbruner, Director of Education & Community Engagement at 804.788.4717 ext. 143 or by email at ahalbruner@richmondsymphony.com.

The LolliPops Series is sponsored by Union Bank & Trust. Special thanks to Yogibo for outfitting the Quiet Room at our Sensory-Friendly performances.

About the Richmond Symphony

Founded in 1957, the Richmond Symphony is the largest performing arts organization in Central Virginia. The organization includes an orchestra of more than 70 professional musicians, the 150-voice Richmond Symphony Chorus and more than 260 students in the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra programs. Each season, more than 200,000 members of the community enjoy concerts, radio broadcasts, and educational outreach programs. The Richmond Symphony is partially funded by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.