Impact case study database
ICS1 Inclusive Creativity – driving inclusion in music for disabled artists using creative technologies
1. Summary of the impact
This case study is focused on impacts arising from the development and application by Lyons and collaborators of his Inclusive Creativity concept, which aims to level the playing field in performance and composition for disabled musicians by developing new creative technologies and methodologies for their use.
Impacts include:
( I1) influence on creative practice of artists with and without disabilities;
( I2) development of accessible future-focused creative technologies for use by artists;
( I3) personal and professional development and enhanced artistic achievement of artists with disabilities;
( I4) influence on strategy, curriculum innovation and professional training in the conservatoire sector;
( I5) cultural and creative policy transformation.
2. Underpinning research
The underpinning research comprises practice-based outputs, position papers, technical papers and conference presentations across three related strands: Strategies for Inclusive Creative Practice; Accessible Hardware and Software Interfaces; and New Repertoire for Inclusive Ensembles.
Strategies for Inclusive Creative Practice
Lyons’ research investigations have been conducted primarily through high-profile original compositions ( R1-R3), some of which were written specifically for inclusive ensembles, developing innovative technology-focused strategies for inclusive creative practice. These compositions have received numerous international performances facilitating iterative research investigation and multiple findings. The strategies were driven specifically by research findings confirming optimum approaches to the role of improvisation, use of gesture as communication, the co-creation of material, and integration of acoustic and digital instruments.
As testbeds for this practice-as-research, Lyons has founded and directed three important and innovative inclusive ensembles: the Wired Ensemble (2000); Acoustronic (2015) and NonZeroSum Ensemble (2017). These groups feature disabled and non-disabled, professional and amateur musicians performing on acoustic and digital instruments. In 2014 Walled City Music Trust and Ulster University collaborated on proposals to the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and British Council, securing approximately GBP100,000 to establish and run Acoustronic and to support touring ( G1, G3). The group Acoustronic is unique, performing challenging new work in a range of renowned mainstream music venues, for example in concerts at the Walled City Music Festival in Derry in June 2017, at Richmix in London in September 2017, in the Virtual Systems and Multimedia International Conference in Dublin in November 2017 and in Calouste Gulbenkian Auditorium in Lisbon in January 2018. One key recent major composition by Lyons, NonZeroSum (2017) ( R2) for inclusive ensemble featuring string quartet and five digital instruments, was commissioned with funding from the prestigious PRSF Beyond Borders scheme ( G2).
Restrictions imposed due to Covid-19 have driven Lyons to investigate new methods of inclusive music-making in real time using communication platforms such as Zoom through
weekly online rehearsals with disabled musicians in the period May to December 2020. Initial
3. References to the research
Outputs can be provided by Ulster University on request.
Practice-as-Research:
R1. The River Still Sings (2013, Lyons and Moore) for Piano Trio, Narrator, Video and Live Electronics. Premiered at the City of London Festival, by Fidelio Trio and James Nesbitt in June 2013.
R2. NonZeroSum (2017, Lyons) for string quartet and five digital instruments, premiered at the Walled City Music Festival by NonZeroSum Ensemble in June 2017. Submitted to REF2021.
R3. Hex 2 (2020, Lyons) for bass clarinet, SABRe, live sound processing and soundtrack. (Online premiere due to Covid). Submitted to REF2021.
Papers:
R4. McCloskey, B., Bridges, B., and Lyons, F. (2015) ‘Accessibility and dimensionality: enhanced real time creative independence for digital musicians with quadriplegic cerebral palsy.’ NIME Proceedings, Louisiana State University, pp 24-27.
R5. Graham, R., Bridges, B., Manzione, C., and Brent, W. (2017) ‘Exploring Pitch and Timbre
through 3D Spaces: Embodied Models in Virtual Reality as a Basis for Performance Systems Design.’ NIME Proceedings, Aalborg University, Copenhagen, pp 157-162.
4. Details of the impact
(I1) Influence on creative practice of artists with and without disabilities:
Musicians with disabilities in the Acoustronic ensemble led by Lyons have testified that through working closely with his inclusive methods and technologies, they achieved higher levels of creative expression as composers and performers, gaining new independence as artists. One stated: ‘my ability to express myself artistically and my confidence in leadership have been enhanced immeasurably’.* (C1) Another commented that: ‘It’s great to learn new things and express your emotions about music.’ (C9)**
Lyons’ Inclusive Creativity concept provided the working methods for the development of Europe’s first inclusive youth orchestra, the Open Youth Orchestra of Ireland (OYOI) in 2019. Researchers from Lyons’ Ulster team and musicians from Acoustronic led the year-long Le Chéile project which developed three new inclusive ensembles across Ireland that came together to form the OYOI. (C3, C6, C9)
The increased level of artistic accomplishment achieved by those musicians with disabilities who have worked with Lyons’ technology-focused approaches has resulted in greater visibility at mainstream music events and in wider public understanding and acceptance of their creative output. This is evidenced by invited performances given by inclusive ensembles directed by Lyons, including Acoustronic and NonZeroSum in Derry, Dublin and London in 2017 and Lisbon in 2018. NonZeroSum was selected by the RNCM Chamber Music Festival to feature in a multi-site networked performance in March 2019. The Executive Director of the internationally renowned Walled City Music Festival said: ‘The artistic excellence displayed in performances by these groups of challenging new work, including […] ‘NonZeroSum’, drove my decision to programme a recurring Inclusive Creativity strand in the annual Walled City Music Festival, starting in 2015. More recently, the continuing artistic excellence and willingness to push boundaries displayed by the Acoustronic ensemble prompted me to apply for funding from Arts Council of Northern Ireland to support a commission for a new work from Professor Lyons for Acoustronic and the Ulster Orchestra. This application was successful and I will programme the new piece, entitled ‘Zoom Time’, in the 2021 Festival.’ (C4, G4)**
The award-winning professional cellist of the Benyounes Quartet and NonZeroSum Ensemble said that working with Lyons’ inclusive methods on the NonZeroSum project ‘was a life- changing experience for me and my fellow musicians in the quartet in terms of how we value the extraordinary gift of being able to make music together, and also on a technical level as to how we interact with other musicians.’ (C5)**
The findings generated by the investigations outlined in underpinning research have provided the thrust of numerous creative projects, residential artistic programmes, research symposia and training events focused on inclusive practice and accessible music technologies in the UK and Ireland (twenty events between 2014 and 2020), Sweden (five events between 2014 and 2019), the US (NYC 2017, 2018, 2019, Austin 2019) and Portugal (Setúbal 2016 and Lisbon 2018). In the course of this work Lyons has directly influenced many composers and performers with disabilities to more constructively utilise accessible technologies and enhance their creative practice. Over fifty Ulster University graduates who have taken Lyons’ research- led modules in inclusive creativity and accessible technologies have gone on to pursue careers in the inclusive arts sector. Access tutors across the UK and Europe, including those working with Drake Music and Share Music Sweden have reassessed and revised their approach to working creatively with disabled musicians after attending training in accessible technologies delivered by Lyons. The strategies presented in this training form the basis of Drake Music approaches and format of Share Music Sweden courses and projects to the present day. The CEO of Share Music Sweden commented that: ‘research findings arising
from Professor Lyons and his research teams in Inclusive Creativity programmes since
5. Sources to corroborate the impact
( C1) Statement from a disabled musician and member of the Acoustronic Ensemble
( C2) Disabled musician and member of the Acoustronic Ensemble: Calouste Gulbenkian profile as part of Participatory Performing Arts/Sharing the Stage initiatives
( C3) Statement from the Director of the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM) and Vice President of the Association Européenne des Conservatoires (AEC)
( C4) Statement from the Executive Director, Walled City Music
( C5) Statement from the Cellist in Benyounes Quartet and NonZeroSum Ensemble ( C6) Statement from a Composer and researcher
( C7) Statement from the CEO and Artistic Director, Share Music Sweden ( C8) Kellycaster article in Disability Arts Online magazine
( C9) Inclusive Creativity and the OYOI feature on RTÉ News, 24 September 2019 ( C10) Arts Council of Northern Ireland, quoted in Belfast Telegraph profile of project
Additional contextual information
Grant funding
| Grant number | Value of grant |
|---|---|
| n/a | £97,000 |
| BB2015\100043 | £13,286 |
| 0000015934 | £8,978 |
| ACNI/19068 | £9,000 |