Embrace – Professional Development Training
Join Protein for one day of professional development training exploring creative approaches to embedding accessibility in live performance.
Embrace, Protein’s ongoing professional development programme, presents a day dedicated to exploring ways to create accessible dance theatre productions.
This Embrace will focus on the integration of accessibility, including an audio description workshop with Sounds Scribe, creative captioning with Ben Glover, and insights into creating accessible dance performances from choreographer and director Stuart Waters.
We will also consider access and care for the team, with expert advice from access consultants on making work accessible across both stage and outdoor practice.
The day will provide professionals with the opportunity to develop proactive strategies and tools for creating accessible dance productions.
Embrace is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, Royal Borough of Greenwich and Woolwich Works.
Timetable
10:00 AM – 10:15 AM | Welcome & Introduction
- Overview of the day’s objectives
- Introduction to speakers and participants
- Warm Up led by dance artist
10:30 AM – 11:45 AM | Audio Description in Dance Productions
- Led by Sound Scribe
- Exploring the role of audio description in live performances
- Practical exercise: Implementing audio description in movement work
11:45 AM – 12:00 AM | Break
12:00 AM – 1.15 PM | Creative Captioning in Performance
- Led by Ben Glover
- Understanding how captions enhance accessibility for different audiences
- Practical session on integrating captions creatively in dance performances
1.15 PM – 2.00 PM | Lunch Break
2.00 PM –3.15 PM | Case Study – Creating A Queer Collison with dance artist Stuart Waters
- Led by Stuart Waters
- Informal discussion on the artistic process and creative approaches of embedding access including Audio Description and other elements into live performance
3.15 PM – 3.30 PM | Break
3:30 PM – 4.30 PM | Access for outdoor work
- Led by Evie Ayers-Townshend
- Examining accessibility in outdoor performances
- Case studies and discussion on best practices
4:30 PM – 5 PM | Open Discussion & Reflection
- Sharing insights from the day
- Addressing challenges and opportunities
- Creating an action plan for accessible practice in dance productions
This Embrace offers a space for practical learning, discussion, and the exchange of ideas, supporting artists and professionals in enhancing accessibility in dance.
We look forward to welcoming you to this vital and enriching day of learning and collaboration.
Guest Speakers
SoundScribe
SoundScribe is a collective of audio describers and consultants specialising in access for performance work, arts institutions and moving image. They offer an embodied and creative approach that resists re-centres marginalised voices through consultation and collaborations with blind and visually impaired artists of colour and audiences.
Ben Glover
Ben Glover is a deaf video designer and creative captioner who uses interdisciplinary skills in both creative and technical fields producing innovative and often expressive creations typically informed by his background in theatre, film and computing.
Video design and creative captioning credits include: Antony & Cleopatra (Shakespeare Globe), Lived Fiction (Stopgap), The Rainbow (Perth Theatre), The Promise (Deafinitely Theatre), Alice in Wonderland (Derby Theatre), A Spectacle of Herself (Contra Productions), Run Rebel (Pilot Theatre), Best of Enemies (Noël Coward Theatre), Surfacing (ASYLUM arts), Tubular Bells 50th Anniversary Concert Tour, NOISE (The Place), The Paradis Files (Graeae Theatre).
Stuart Waters
Stuart Waters is an exceptional, compelling and fearless dance-maker. His powerful, critically-acclaimed autobiographical work draws on his experience as a neurodivergent, queer man living with mental health access needs.
After a 22 year career as a touring performer he has shifted into being a dance and live art performance maker, holding brave and safe spaces which he curates as well as performs in. The collaborative nature of his practice is empowering, and underpins his creative process and the participation projects he leads. His activism draws on his lived experiences of marginalisation and seeks to increase opportunities for other marginalised artists’. Stuart’s learning and participation work inspires, educates and challenges participants, and is influencing and informing artistic directors, companies and conservatoires to develop excellent practice. He advocates for diversity, mental health and emotional safety in the sector through his performance and participation work, alongside delivering training, workshops, public speaking and events.
Evie Ayres-Townshend
Evie Ayres-Townshend is Access Producer at Festival.org and oversees their industry-leading access provision at their flagship annual event, Greenwich and Docklands International Festival.
The festival is pioneering new approaches to access and audience engagement and supports D/deaf, disabled and neurodiverse artists to make shows for outdoor environments. They were the first outdoor festival to be awarded Platinum by Attitude is Everything on their Charter for Best Practice.
Evie previously worked as project manager at Club Soda Croydon, platforming and supporting learning disabled artists and producing accessible live music events and club nights. Here she pioneered partnerships with Brockwell Live Festival and We Out Here, leading campaigns to boost visibility of learning-disabled artists and partygoers in mainstream music spaces. Evie is also a lead producer for SoDaDa, an inclusive cabaret night showcasing artists with learning disabilities.
Access for Embrace
Embrace is open to dance and professionals of all ages and performing arts backgrounds including producers, performers, actors, musicians, teachers and choreographers.
If you require any support or require this information in any other format, please do get in touch with caron@proteindance.co.uk. and let us know if you have any access requirements.
