The first 'fully accessible' Edinburgh Festival Fringe venue to be launched this summer
The fully accessible venues for people with visual impairment (VI) are the first of their kind at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The first fully accessible Fringe venue for people with visual impairment is to be created this summer.
Some shows at Zoo, which runs three city venues during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, will have audio description, as well as providing live programme notes and tactile touch tours before performances of three shows due to be held at the site.
The accessibility has been pioneered by Extant, a professional performing arts company of blind and visually impaired artists, in partnership with Sight Scotland and Visually Impaired Creators Scotland (VICS).
Last year, there were about only 40 shows across the whole of the Edinburgh Fringe with audio description.
The three shows set to take part in the trial are Holly Gifford’s Big Little Sister, Shaper/Caper’s Small Town Boys and Full Out Formula/Almanac Projects’ I Think It Could Work.
Ms Gifford said: “We’re so excited to be working with Extant to provide access performances of our show. The story we’re telling is one that needs to reach the right audiences, and being part of Enhance not only makes that possible, it expands what storytelling means to us.”
The Extant approach is designed to cater to a range of productions and budgets. Options offered to participating shows include simple self-descriptions for solo performers, pre-recorded audio introductions that describe key visual elements of a show, and headset-based live audio description written and delivered by trained professionals.
Extant, which was formed in 1997 by founder Maria Oshodi and a group of professional visually impaired artists, also has expertise in working directly with creative teams to embed inclusive practices into the fabric of the work through integrated or creative audio description. The company aims to redress invisibility of blind and partially sighted artists, explore new creative territories and become a dynamic, political space to articulate and celebrate what visual impairment brings to the performing arts.
Zoo venues staff will receive visual impairment awareness training led by Extant’s experienced facilitators, with the goal of making sure accessible practice is properly understood. Touch tour training will also be provided to the creative teams for the three shows.
The programme will include the return of Extant’s annual Open House on Access, creating space for conversation, inspiration and practical advice on making the arts more inclusive.
Tam Gilbert, Extant’s trainee artistic director, said: “Extant are thrilled to be partnering with Zoo this year to increase accessibility for visually impaired audiences at Edinburgh Fringe.
“Our team are all very excited to attend and with our three Enhanced performances - complete with touch tours and programme notes showcasing VI accessibility at its finest - and our Open House event, we can promise an enriched experience for everyone to enjoy.”
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