Accessibility : Music and disability (S-EEE Lab)

The Ambronay Centre culturel de rencontre will be working in 2026 and 2027 on the theme of Culture and disability over a two-year period, after having focused on early childhood for two years. More generally, we would like to explore the issue of accessibility to artistic activities.

2026.03.31

Call for Application « Accessibility : Music and disability »

  • 2 Observation residencies
  • Residency 1 : 29-30 june 2026, CCR d’Ambronay
  • Residency 2 : 19-20 september, CCR d’Ambronay (47th Ambronay Festival)
  • Application : April 1st – 30th
  • Open to Individual musicians members of the EEEMERGING Community

Context

The Ambronay Centre culturel de rencontre will be working in 2026 and 2027 on the theme of Culture and disability over a two-year period, after having focused on early childhood for two years. More generally, we would like to explore the issue of accessibility to artistic activities.

Partners :

  • Centre de formation des musiciens intervenants : meaning Training centre for Musicians specialising in outreach programs in schools and specialised structures.
  • Compagnie On/Off : the On Off Company is a regional reference point for deaf arts and French Sign Language (LSF).

 

Objectives

  • Observing the implementation of musical activities with mentally disabled people and deaf people.
  • Observing the implementation of a project involving multiple partners specialized in accessability,
  • Experiencing a collective creative process while immersed in a cultural structure, considering collective work as a sum of individual and unique proposals
  • Observing the work on the concept of In Situ: adapt one’s creation to a location and its spatial, acoustic, architectural constraints, etc.
  • Developping kindness, artistic rigour, authenticity of approach and choices as essential conditions for a sensitive and poetic relationship

 

Methodology

  • Observation of the artists involved in their relationship with the audience
  • Active and participatory methods are favoured : meetings, conferences, professionnal networking, workshops, performances…

 

Speakers

Residency 1 : 29-30 june 2026, CCR d’Ambronay
Residency 2 : 19-20 september, CCR d’Ambronay (47th Ambronay Festival)

 

Schedule and contents

  • Application : 1er avril au 30 avril
  • Residency 1 : 29-30 june 2026, CCR d’Ambronay

 

Artistic input :

Fernando Oreste Nannetti is the author of a written work engraved on the walls of the psychiatric hospital in Volterra, Italy. The result of nine years of work, from 1959 to 1961 and then from 1968 to 1973, this monumental creation is seventy metres long and covers several walls of the institution’s inner courtyard. During the daily walk allowed to patients, Nannetti engraved writings into the stone using the metal clasp of his jacket, part of the uniform worn by each patient.

 

Beneficiaries :

The Beneficiaries are people coming from two partners of Ambronay’s local hub :

  • People looked after by “Service Accueil de jour” from Meximieux – meaning adults with different types of fragilities – social, mental, psychiatric…
  • beneficiaries of La Ferme du Vinatier’s Festival “Au Coeur de tes oreilles”. (Le Vinatier is a Psychiatric Hospital in Lyon)

 

Participants :

Students of the CFMI specialising in music, disability and health

 

Residency 1 : 29-30 june 2026, CCR d’Ambronay

Day 1

  • Observation of the students of the CFMI implementing musical solo performance on the site of Ambronay Abbey.
  • Meeting with Marina Roche Lecca, head of the project
  • Meeting with Sebastien Egleme, CFMI
  • Meeting with Sophie Bailly, Art-Thérapeute

 

Day 2

The outcome of the process initiated by the ‘Fernando Nannetti’ initiative will be showcased during professional meetings organised on 30 June 2026.

The day will be divided into two parts: a musical stroll & a ‘thematic round table’.

The round table will provide an opportunity for two discussions with professionals/guests :

  • Discussion on motivations and methodologies when talking about accessibility, with Sophie Boucher (DAC Aurillac), who proposed a set of specifications incorporating the artistic teams’ reflections on the whys and wherefores, bringing stakeholders together to work on the subject of accessibility.

Alain Goudard and Coline Rogé will also be there to contribute to the discussion based on their own experiences.

  • A meeting with artist and organisational representatives from the S-EEE programme at the Ambronay CCR. How to proceed when accessibility issues are not widely addressed in training venues, the role of cultural partners, cooperation and communities.

Residency 2 : 19-20 september, CCR d’Ambronay (47th Ambronay Festival)

Programme for deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors as part of the 47th Ambronay Festival

Throughout the year and across all of its activities promoting heritage, the Ambronay Cultural Centre strives to welcome everyone, taking into account as best it can and within its means the disabilities that people may have.

Although we cannot make changes to the building (as we do not own the premises), we can improve our visitor facilities, cultural offerings and outreach activities.

In 2025-26, in light of the needs identified through the Echolalie project in particular, we have decided to focus specifically on welcoming deaf people.

A first visit in French Sign Language will take place on 19 September as part of the European Heritage Days.

During this event, which aims to give everyone access to heritage, we have chosen to offer a deaf-friendly tour including: a guided tour of the abbey site, a workshop on monastic language, and a choreographed ball adapted for bilingual audiences.

The artists involved are choreographer Denis Plassard, dancer Géraldine Berger and actor Anthony Guyon, with musicians to be confirmed. We have worked closely with the Compagnie On Off to ensure that this project runs smoothly.

 

This call is open to:

  • Individual musicians members of the EEEMERGING Community (former participants of the Academy, members of former eeemerging ensembles – even if the ensemble no longer exists-…)
  • Prerequisite: Most of the activities will be held in french language. So understanding of French is an imperative.

 

Application procedure

Complete the online application form with :

  • CV Resume
  • Letter of motivation
  • Confirmation of availabilities on the two periods
  • Please let us know if you have any specific requirements or suggestions.

Costs

  • All expenses (travel, accommodation, meals) are covered by the CCR.
  • No salary.

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