French language showings of GLITCH can now be presented with audio description, making it accessible to blind or visually impaired audiences aged 9 and over!

What is audio description?

Common in cinema and theatre, the process of audio description consists of orally describing the visual and sensory elements of a show to enable blind and visually impaired audience members to partake in the experience. For GLITCH, each word has been carefully chosen to stir the emotions and engage the imagination of young people aged 9 and over.

In the interests of staying true to the medium of ‘live’ art, the narrative text of the audio description, having been written beforehand, is then recited live in order to synchronize with the artists on stage, allowing for better adaptation to improvisation or any unforeseen events that may arise during the performance.

How does it work?

Our collaborators Danse-Cité employ state of the art technologies, such as a specific wifi network for broadcasting the audio description. Audience members with special needs can therefore enjoy the show by downloading the Sennheiser application on their smartphone and listening to the description through their headphones. During performances, technicians are on site to ensure the smooth running of the event or to provide the necessary equipment.

Tactile workshop

The show is usually preceded by a tactile workshop, a crucial step in the success of audio description which permits members of the audience to touch the elements making up the scenography, the costumes and props, and to meet the artists playing the characters. They can also familiarise themselves with certain movements in order to facilitate a better understanding of the show and the audio description.

Our partners

The audio description of GLITCH would not have been possible without the vital collaboration of Danse-Cité, our financial partners, the TELUS Foundation for a Better Future, the Caisse Desjardins De La Culture and the generous donations received during the 2022 and 2023 editions of our annual campaign, Collective Sentence. The first show performed with audio description was produced with the assistance of the Maison Des Arts De Laval on December 3, 2023.

Did you know…

• Around 350 000 people in Quebec suffer from a visual disability (La Presse)
• In Quebec, 1 out of every 4 school age children is visually impaired (Ordre des optométristes du Québec)
• In Canada as a whole, it is estimated that approximately 10% of preschool children suffer from a visual impairment. (www.fightingblindness.ca)
• “Theatrodescription” (audio description in theater) was created in 2014 thanks to Sylvain Noël, the founder and president of Connec-T.
• Since 2021, Danse-Cité has played a major role in the implementation of audio description in dance in Quebec, especially as an active participant in the development of specialized resources.