Power Productions launches live audio description service for theatre
December 1, 2022 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Today, Power Production, a St. John’s based theatre company, dedicated to creating diverse and accessible theatre projects, professional development opportunities and community collaborations with a focus on the disability, Deaf and MAD arts sector, launched its new audio description service for live theatre.
Power Up! is a new program that offers live description services to local theatre companies and productions. The service includes trained live describers as well as technical and hardware supports for further accessibility to theatre for audience members who are blind or have low vision. Describers completed an intense training program from Vancouver based audio description company Vocal Eye in preparation of the service.
The official launch happened at the Resource Centre for the Art in St. John’s and included representatives from Power Productions, Resource Centre for the Arts and the CNIB. The launch also included a demonstration of how the service works. Power Up! Live Description for Theatre is available to any production company looking for further access to their programming.
Quotes for use by news agencies:
“Power Up! is a great new service that further access to the arts for patrons who are bind or have low vision. It’s a service new to our province and we are excited to further our commitment to creating an arts community that is truly inclusive for all members of our community.” Paul Power, Artistic Director, Power Productions
‘Resource Centre for the Arts is committed to providing accessibility services in the form of live description and we are so pleased and proud that Power Productions has been able to give the theatre community the opportunity to have a local option of these services.’ Suzanne Mullett, General Manager, Resource Centre for the Arts at the LSPU Hall
‘Live Audio Description can play such an essential role in making live performance art fully inclusive for people with sight loss. This specialized way of communicating descriptions of important aspects of performance, allows people that are blind or partially sighted to have an experience that is equal to the rest of the audience. It is wonderful to see groups like Power Up taking steps to increase accessibility and inclusion here in Newfoundland and Labrador.’
