Art · Science · Society
MusiKautism
Music as a Universal Language
Supported by the Haizebegi Festival since 2020, MusiKautisme is a project combining research, artistic creation, and social action that explores the connections between music and autism in the Basque Country, by bringing together perspectives from science, art, and society.
Each year, MusiKautisme hosts meetings, discussions, concerts, film screenings, and lectures, bringing together people on the autism spectrum themselves, cognitive science researchers from the CNRS, healthcare professionals, family advocacy groups, and participating musicians to foster dialogue. The project is rooted in a deeply inclusive approach that respects the diversity of experiences and sensibilities, and views music as a universal language capable of building connections, fostering self-expression, and changing perspectives.
MusiKautisme: The 2026 Cross-Border Workshops
A research and regional de
project
Recognizing this trend, the Basque Country Urban Community has awarded the CNRS’s ARI Institute funding for a doctoral fellowship on this topic. Founded by Denis Laborde, a researcher at the CNRS, ethnologist, and director of the Haizebegi festival—the ARI Institute is at the heart of this intersection between scientific research, artistic creation, and social engagement.
This major step forward reinforces Haizebegi’s ambition: to make the Basque Country an international hub for research on the connection between music and autism.
Autism is not a disease but a group of neurodevelopmental disorders, now referred to as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). These disorders involve, in particular, distinct characteristics in communication, social interactions, sensory processing, and certain behaviors. MusiKautisme is fully aligned with a contemporary approach to neurodiversity, which recognizes both the support needs and the unique skills of those affected.
Music as a
s a tool for inclusion
Autism is not a disease but a set of neurodevelopmental characteristics that influence communication, sensory perception, and social interactions. Many people on the autism spectrum also possess remarkable abilities, such as musical memory, perfect pitch, a keen sense of sound structures, and synesthesia.
Music has an impact on several areas that are often compromised: sensory sensitivity, motor skills, emotions, cognition, and social connections.
It helps open up avenues for self-expression, reduce stress, promote communication, and foster forms of collective cooperation.
Recognized by the scientific community and recommended by the World Health Organization as part of non-pharmacological therapeutic approaches, the use of music is now emerging as a powerful tool for inclusion and social justice.
A Living Laboratory
, in the Basque Country
MusiKautisme transforms the Basque Country into a veritable open-air laboratory, where new forms of dialogue are being forged between disciplines and local stakeholders. The project draws on a dense network of local partners: cultural organizations, healthcare facilities, music conservatories, family associations, and research centers.
It promotes the exchange of knowledge between the academic world and practitioners on the ground, between artists and healthcare providers, and between families and institutions.
This dynamic helps build a sustainable ecosystem capable of better coordinating existing initiatives, raising their profile, and amplifying their impact.
A cross-border project in
s an international reach
MusiKautisme is part of a resolutely cross-border initiative, working closely with organizations in the Southern Basque Country, notably the Gautena association, which is recognized throughout Europe for its work promoting the inclusion of people with autism. These partnerships enable the exchange of best practices, the comparison of support models, and the enrichment of discourse on public policies related to autism and neurodiversity.
Supported by the Basque Country Urban Community and recognized by the scientific community, the project helps to firmly establish the region within a framework of research and experimentation with international reach. More than just a cultural event, MusiKautisme is becoming a living laboratory where art, science, and society converge, and where the contours of a more inclusive, open, and supportive society are taking shape.
By fostering exchanges between Bayonne, Donostia, and other regions, MusiKautisme helps elevate the Basque Country’s profile as a leading center for research on the connections between music and autism, affirming music as a catalyst for inclusion, social justice, and collective transformation.
A multidisciplinary team at
Art
Artists and music professionals committed to issues of creation, outreach, and education:
- David Christoffel – Music Composition and Outreach
- Mikel Cañada – Music Education and Projects
- Michaël Gavazzi – Cultural Rights, Health, and Disability
- Patrick Villanueva – pianist and composer
- Yamel Romero – Music Education and Music Therapy
Science
Researchers and healthcare professionals from the humanities, cognitive sciences, and medical fields:
- Fabienne Cazalis – Cognitive Science
- Bruno Gepner – Child Psychiatry and Autism Research
- Denis Laborde – Anthropology
- Dr. Andréa Anchordoqui – Psychiatry
- Pietro Calabretta – Anthropology and Music (Ph.D. in Music & Autism)
Society
Frontline professionals dedicated to supporting people with autism and their families:
- Christian Sottou – Autism France
- Jimmy Brosa Paz – Gautena Association
- Anouk Lagisquet – Chrysalide Association
MusiKautisme Project Partners
MusiKautisme relies on a strong network of institutional, cultural, scientific, and medical-social partners:
- National Center for Scientific Research
- Basque Country Urban Community
- Maurice Ravel Conservatory of the Basque Country
- Chrysalide Association
- Musikene – Higher Conservatory of the Basque Country
- Musikanaiz
- Gautena
- Basque Coast Hospital
- Hendaye Naval Hospital (AP-HP)