Leeds Heritage Theatre Launches New Accessible Performances Fund

As part of its commitment to ‘Theatre for All’, Leeds Heritage Theatres is launching an Accessible Performances Fund, hoping to raise £30,000 by Thursday 31 August 2023.

Following a generous legacy donation of £5,000, the organisation is using this to start a fund that will directly help to increase the number of Access performances across its venues, including at least one of each type of Accessible performance for all week-long productions at Leeds Grand Theatre.

Leeds Heritage Theatres statement: “We believe that the arts and culture can change lives, improve well-being, and remind us of what connects us as humans. We want everyone to experience and benefit from the shared connection of live performances, screenings, and events but we know there’s more we need to do to make this happen and we need your help.”

Accessible performances are those which have additional elements to support audience members with access requirements. Leeds Heritage Theatres offers several types of Accessible performances including Audio Described, Signed, Captioned and Relaxed.

Audio Described performances have the option of a live commentary to describe the action onstage for patrons with visual impairments. Before some Audio Described performances, Touch Tours may also be available for blind or partially sighted audience members to explore the stage and set, and can include handling selected props, costumes and scenery for familiarisation purposes.

Audio description massively improves how blind or visually impaired audience members experience performances. Tmara Senior, an audience member who has been blind since birth said: “Audio Described performances mean that as a totally blind person you can laugh when everyone else is laughing, cry when other people are crying. In short, the totally blind person can have the same theatre experience as any sighted person can. You don’t have to guess what is happening on the stage or wonder why everyone around you is laughing or what they are laughing at.”

During signed performances, trained BSL interpreters will stand in view of the audience to interpret the show live while it is being performed.

During Captioned performances, the dialogue is shown on screens at the front of the auditorium as it is spoken. Alice, an audience member with hearing loss said: “I have only ever managed to see one theatre performance with captions…and it completely changed my engagement with it and I enjoyed myself so much more!”

Leeds Heritage Theatres has invested in new captioning equipment through a grant but to pay the specially trained staff to deliver one of each of these types of interpretation in a week costs £2,000.

Relaxed performances have a more informal atmosphere particularly aimed to welcome those with sensory difficulties or autism. Performances remain the same but with small adjustments such as the house lights in the auditorium remaining on, loud noises being softened, and audience members being free to leave and re-enter.

Leeds Heritage Theatres is asking supporters to kindly donate to help improve the Access performances offering for audience members with visual impairments or who are D/deaf or hard of hearing.

To find out more about the Accessible Performances Fund, visit www.leedsheritagetheatres.com/theatre-for-all/.