ACCESS NEEDS?
WE GOT ‘EM
It’s not just a commitment
It’s who we are
We’ve got bored with not being able to find practical accessibility information on theatres’ websites. We’re disability-lead, so we’ve had our fair share of it. When starting this project we could’ve followed established systems for accessibility ‘measures’ that are laid out by big theatres, but we know that these are often put together without disabled people in the room and so often don’t meet our needs anyway. So why would we try to build on that foundation? That’s why we decided to do things differently.
What are we doing about it?
No vague and dodgy marketing copy here, and no big impenetrable policy documents. Our website lays out access clearly, breaking things down simply into artist’s and audience’s access.
Our approach is unique, and some of the things we’re doing to challenge the low bar of communications & provision around access are:
There’s a lot of info on our website about access, so we prioritise breaking things down simply and clearly. We’re specific about our approach, our own lived experiences as disabled artists, and sharing information with you about our venue and shows that enables you to plan and have more autonomy over your experience with us.
Being Clear & specific
Access needs are diverse and dynamic, so the way we meet them needs to be too. A lot of the time, larger and older organisations are too big and fixed in their ways to be agile and flexible, which explains why some places still struggle to be responsive to varied access needs. We have the luxury of starting from scratch and building these priorities into our practice from the start.
Agility & Flexibility
We created access riders & crisis plan templates that you can download from our website, whether you’re performing with us or not. As we grow, our artists access page will become a resource-base for other disabled artists to find helpful information and interesting conversations.
Riders & resources
Specific access info:
We’re agile and flexible when working with artists to ensure we can meet your needs, but also prioritise them in your creativity and be responsive if/when they change.
We want audiences to feel comfortable, safe, and supported when they come to our events. That means clarity about what we can/can’t provide and our venues accessibility.
Do you want to learn more about the practice, processes, and systems behind how we create access for artists, audiences, and our team?