It has been four years since sound worked with Ben Lunn on the release of What We Need to Thrive, a document designed to help organisations better support autistic composers. Since then, the landscape of classical music has shifted in response to growing awareness of neurodiversity, accessibility, and inclusion. But has meaningful change taken place?
To reflect on the progress made, the challenges that remain, and what still needs to be done, we sat down with Ben Lunn, an accomplished composer, conductor, and passionate advocate for neurodivergent artists.
Progress and Setbacks: Where Are We Now?
The past four years have been marked by both progress and stagnation in how the classical music world supports autistic composers. Ben acknowledges that there have been some significant improvements, particularly in how organisations recognise access needs.
"More organisations are now asking for access riders, which is a great step," he says. "A few years ago, even the idea of asking someone if they had access requirements was rare. Now, it’s becoming more normalised."
However, he also observes that some of the progress made during the pandemic such as, the widespread adoption of online meetings has started to backslide.
"At the start of the pandemic, organisations were quick to move online, which actually made some things more accessible. But now, I’ve noticed that Zoom meetings are becoming harder to arrange again, unless there’s a really obvious need for them."
One of the biggest structural issues, he explains, is that disability arts organisations are often left to do all the heavy lifting.
"It’s great that there are groups dedicated to supporting disabled artists, but too often, mainstream organisations just defer to them rather than taking responsibility themselves. If we want real change, every organisation needs to be proactive, not just those already specialising in disability arts.
The Missing Piece: A Guide for Composers
While What We Need to Thrive has been a valuable resource for organisations, Ben believes another resource is needed, one designed specifically for autistic composers.
"The original document does a great job of advising organisations on what they can do," he says, "but it doesn’t necessarily help composers navigate the industry themselves. That’s a huge gap we need to fill."
Many autistic composers struggle with aspects of the industry that aren’t directly related to composing such as, securing commissions, handling administrative tasks, and networking.
Ben explains that while organisations can make these processes easier, there also needs to be clearer guidance for composers on how to navigate these challenges.
"If you don’t know a funding scheme exists, or if you don’t know what kind of support you’re entitled to, then it’s not going to help you. We need a guide that breaks down these barriers for autistic and other disabled composers, giving them the tools to advocate for themselves."
Barriers to Success: What’s Changed and What Hasn’t?
When asked which challenges have seen the most progress in the last four years, Ben is optimistic about the increased awareness of access needs.
"Just the fact that organisations are thinking about accessibility at all is a huge step forward," he says. "Even five or ten years ago, it was barely on the radar."
But despite this progress, he points out that one of the biggest barriers remains: networking.
"As composers, we need to meet commissioners, musicians, and other people in the industry. But for autistic people, networking can be really difficult. There’s the challenge of managing your social battery, the stress of navigating unfamiliar spaces, and even just the logistics of getting to events."
He highlights the geographical inequalities that make networking even harder for those outside major cities.
"If you’re based in London, you can just hop on the Tube to meet someone. But if you live in Aberdeen, travelling to industry events is a huge commitment. You’re either looking at a long train journey or a flight, and that kind of effort isn’t always feasible. Until organisations actively seek out neurodivergent, and disabled, composers rather than expecting us to come to them, this will continue to be a barrier."
The Role of Organisations: Taking Meaningful Action
So, what can music organisations, ensembles, and commissioners do to ensure their work is truly inclusive? According to Ben, the first step is simple: take action.
"There’s no need to reinvent the wheel," he says. "The information is already out there. We know what needs to be done, it’s just a matter of actually doing it."
He also urges organisations to stop letting fear hold them back.
"A lot of people worry about not getting it 100% perfect, so they end up doing nothing at all. It’s better to try and get things slightly wrong than to do nothing out of fear of saying, or doing, the wrong thing."
One of the biggest issues he identifies is the lack of representation of disabled composers in major programming.
"We see orchestras programming Beethoven all the time, but they rarely acknowledge that he was disabled. Instead, they frame him as a heroic figure who 'overcame' his deafness. That’s not the narrative we need."
Looking Ahead: The Future of Inclusivity in Classical Music
As we look to the future, Ben highlights several key areas that need urgent attention:
- Stopping cuts to disability benefits. "If the government continues to attack disability benefits, it’s going to have a huge impact on who can afford to be a composer. We risk losing an entire generation of artists simply because they can’t afford to survive."
- Encouraging major organisations to commission more neurodivergent composers. "At the moment, the big ensembles aren’t taking enough risks. They need to be commissioning autistic and disabled composers as a standard practice, not just as an occasional gesture."
- Changing the narrative around disabled artists. "We need to move away from the idea of disabled composers being 'inspirational' or 'overcoming' their disabilities. We’re artists. That’s what should come first."
Final Thoughts: Moving from Awareness to Action
As awareness of neurodiversity and disability in the arts continues to grow, the challenge now is to turn that awareness into tangible action. Organisations must go beyond acknowledging the issue, they need to actively seek out and support autistic and disabled composers, ensuring they are a regular part of the industry rather than an afterthought.
"Sound have been incredibly supportive and have tried to actually act, and not just say the right thing. The fact a small organisation which doesn’t have the same capital or support is committed to addressing inequality in the arts, to the extent that they do, is great."
Bit by bit, we are moving in the right direction. But there’s still a long way to go.
To get in touch with Ben Lunn: https://www.blommusicmanagemen...
