Access

Audio description (AD) for dance performances helps audience members understand what’s happening on stage.

To use it, you collect a handheld device from the box office. The device comes with an earpiece that you wear during the performance.

A live commentator provides a description of key visual details, like the dancers’ movements and costumes, through the earpiece. You can adjust the volume or turn the device on and off at any time during the show.

Before the show, we also offer audio notes - called programme notes - that explain things like what the set looks like and what costumes look like.

Who is this helpful for?

Audio description (AD) is helpful for blind and visually impaired individuals, and neurodivergent audiences. Audience members can benefit from additional details about the environment, movements, or actions on stage.

Audio description enhances the experience for audience members by providing a richer understanding of the performance through clear, verbal descriptions, allowing them to fully engage with the show.

A Touch Tour is an experience designed to help people explore the stage and the performance space before the show starts.

During a Touch Tour, audience members are invited to feel and explore key elements of the set, props, and costumes.

This gives them a sense of what will be seen during the performance.

A guide will be present to explain what each item is and its role in the show.

This allows people to get familiar with the environment and better understand the visual aspects of the performance.

The Touch Tour helps create a more immersive experience, ensuring audiences can fully engage with the performance.

Who is this helpful for?

A touch tour is especially beneficial for blind and visually impaired audience members, as it allows people to explore key elements of the performance before the show begins.

This gives them a tactile understanding of the stage, props, and costumes, helping them connect with the visual aspects of the performance.

It can also be helpful for neurodivergent individuals, such as those with autism, who may benefit from a more sensory and structured introduction to the environment, which can help reduce anxiety and increase engagement with the performance.

A touch tour enhances the experience for anyone who may benefit from a hands-on exploration of the stage and set.

A relaxed performance is a type of show designed to be more inclusive and accessible for people who may need a more flexible environment.

During a relaxed performance, things like sound levels, lighting, and stage effects are adjusted to be less intense.

The atmosphere is more relaxed, and audience members are free to move around, make noise, stim and leave and re-enter the venue as needed.

Who is this helpful for?

This type of performance is helpful for audiences with sensory sensitivities, such as those with autism, or for anyone who might feel anxious or uncomfortable in a traditional theatre setting.

It can also benefit people with intellectual disabilities or those with mental health challenges, allowing them to enjoy the performance in a more supportive and accommodating environment.

Relaxed performances allow people to go to the bathroom mid-performance without feeling like they are disrupting others.

Surtitles are text displays of the dialogue and key spoken content during a performance, shown on a screen above the stage.

Unlike closed captions, which include sound and music cues, surtitles focus solely on spoken words, allowing audiences to engage with the performance in a way that suits their needs.

Who are they helpful for?

They are especially helpful for audiences who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing, as they provide a clear, real-time translation of the spoken words.

Surtitles can also benefit non-native speakers by providing written translations of the dialogue in a language they understand.

Surtitles can also benefit neurodivergent individuals and those with auditory processing disorders, as they offer an additional way to follow the dialogue and understand the performance more easily.

They are also helpful for non-native English speakers, so they can understand the dialogue and follow the story.

ISL interpretation provides a visual translation of spoken dialogue and key information, delivered by a sign language interpreter.

The interpreter is usually positioned to the side or in front of the space, allowing the audience to view both the presenter and the interpreter at the same time.

Who is this helpful for?

This service benefits d/Deaf and hard of hearing attendees who use ISL as their primary form of communication.

It allows people to engage with the discussion and content in real time.

ISL interpretation can also be helpful for neurodivergent attendees and people with auditory processing disorders because it offers a clear, visual way to understand what’s being said.