Inclusive Description for Equality and Access

IDEA will support and enable theatre professionals and audio describers to engage with and explore the findings and recommendations of the 2020 VocalEyes / Royal Holloway report ‘Describing Diversity’ to promote the creation of inclusive audio descriptions which celebrate diversity in ethical ways. We will work with directors, casting directors, actors, access professionals and front-of-house teams at producing theatre companies as well as audio describers and blind, partially sighted and non-blind theatre goers, to promote the value of audio description as both a communicator and a driver of equality, diversity and inclusion. IDEA will also seek to increase the diversity of audio describers, blind and partially sighted theatre goers and theatre professionals by engaging under-represented groups with the creation and reception of inclusive audio description. Planned outputs include 10 audio-described performances; web resources; training videos and a MOOC.