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Sydney Theatre Company - Arts Organisations Get Creative About Access
Sydney’s leading arts organisations are developing ways to improve access for people with disabilities to enjoy the arts. Sydney Theatre Company has hosted a meeting in partnership with Accessible Arts, for key staff from arts organisations including the Sydney Opera House, Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Art Gallery of NSW to discuss innovative approaches to accessibility.
STC offers regular audio described and captioned performances including their current productions, Rock ‘n’ Roll by Tom Stoppard, playing at Sydney Theatre and The Serpent’s Teeth by Daniel Keene at the Sydney Opera House. Audio description complements a performance experience by providing a live description of a production’s visual elements and captioning recreates the sound elements of a production, including dialogue, sound effects and music. Touch tours of the stage and set designs before performances are also a highlight. These initiatives enable blind, vision impaired, Deaf and hearing impaired people to attend performances that are usually inaccessible to them.
Andrew Upton and Cate Blanchett, Co Artistic Directors of STC, said: “We want Sydney Theatre Company to be inclusive and welcoming to everyone and we’re pleased to be working with Accessible Arts and other arts organisations to maintain and improve access and opportunities for people with disabilities.”
Ensemble Theatre also offer regular audio described performances for each of their productions, including the current play QED by Peter Parnell. The Company is currently working in partnership with Vision Australia to raise funds for further headsets.
Sancha Donald, CEO of Accessible Arts said: “We are pleased to see Sydney Theatre Company and Ensemble Theatre leading the way in providing access for audience members with disabilities.”
Accessible Arts, a not for profit organisation, has supported the concept of bringing together arts companies to focus on the issue of improving access to live performance. Their work bridges the gap between the arts and people with a disability and they link up organisations like Vision Australia to provide access services for live performances and then present findings to venues and presenters at ‘accessing the arts’ meetings.
For more information:
Sydney Theatre Company access performances go to www.sydneytheatre.com.au or contact the box office on 02 9250 1777. To find out about the work of Accessible Arts contact Alison McLaren on 02 9251 6499 or go to www.aarts.net.au. For more information about Ensemble Theatre audio described performances go to www.ensemble.com.au or contact the box office on 02 9929 0644.
Media contact:
Jacqui O’Reilly, Information Coordinator, Accessible Arts
Phone: 02 9251 6499 (ext.1) Email: info@aarts.net.au
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