The Musikfest Inclusion zone provided a quiet place for kids who needed a break from the sights and sounds of the Fest. Located in the theater of the Artsquest building on First Street, the lights were dimmed, a soft floor area had soft toys, a yoga ball and a reading corner. Fidget toys, a yoga ball, and special headphones with a selection of calming music were available. A soothing ocean scene played on the screen above. Parents could relax in the cozy auditorium seats.

An Inclusion Zone was new to Musikfest this year. When Artquest finally received permission to hold the festival, it set out to determine how its indoor spaces would be used.

Throughout the year, Artsquest held some sensory friendly events. One was a Sensory Accessible concert at the Musikfest Café. The event was run with Accessible Festivals, owned by Leah Barron and Amy Pinder. They also publish Inclusion Magazine. Sensory issues are common in both children and adults. They can include sensitivity to light or sound, dislike of crowds, and more.

As the leaders at Artsquest determined their Musikfest spaces, Addyson Young suggested a sensory area. Sensory areas are becoming common in schools and other venues. The Artsquest team contacted Accessible Festivals to organize and run the Inclusion Zone. Artsquest received a grant from the Neighborhood Assistance Tax Credit Program to help provide supplies. The team settled on half of the theater as the venue.

To choose what would go into the space, Leah and Amy collaborated and collected tools and resources. Some belonged to Leah and Amy, and some were purchased by Artsquest from the grant.

Included among the offerings was a mindfulness curriculum, called “Generation Mindful.” Included are a poster of feelings and stuffed toys called Snuggle Buddies that have soft colored ornaments attached that match the feelings.

The floor was covered in large soft tiles, for quiet feet and comfortable sitting. The Inclusion Zone was staffed with volunteers from Accessible Festivals. They included special education teachers on summer break, and parents of special needs children. Either Amy or Leah was always on duty at the site.

Leah said that Musikfest volunteers also used the Inclusion Zone as a place to relax, to take a break from their festival duties in a quiet place.

“The Inclusion Zone offers a break from the Festival environment. Everybody needs a break,” she noted.

Ryan Hill, Artsquest programming director, oversees all the indoor spaces at Musikfest. He said various sensory programs have been offered in the theater for about five years, though not during Musikfest. The Inclusion Zone at Musikfest had between 50 and 100 attendees daily.

Accessible Festivals took surveys of the parents and will share that information, along with its own observations and verbal comments from patrons, with Artsquest in a report.

Hill said for the 2022 Musikfest, Artsuest will go “back to the drawing board.” He added that Artsquest’s mission is “all about accessibility to the arts, and if the Inclusion Zone had only hosted even one person who would otherwise not have come to Musikfest, then we succeeded.”

For more information about Accessible Festivals, visit www.accessiblefestivals.com