Photo: Esme Mai
Our understanding of access is based on the Social Model of Disability. The social model explains that people are not disabled by their bodies. People are disabled by inaccessible architecture, policies and attitudes that prevent them from participating fully in the world.
We are inspired by the work of our colleagues Touretteshero and their work around Relaxed Performances and Relaxed Venues. We see access as something we need to keep working at and that won’t always get it right.
On our website and on social media, we will always strive for best practice for accessibility. This includes using alt text or visual descriptions, warning about flashing lights and sudden loud noises, captioning and plain language. Using the accessibility toggle on our website, you can change the way this website looks, which may help you to use it more easily.
We will refrain wherever possible from asking disabled people to prove that they need access and adjustments. We'll ask artists and staff working with us about their access needs so we can support them. We'll approach staff access, wherever possible, with the understanding that impairment and access can change. Staff should be empowered to ask for what they need and experiment with the kinds of access support that will work for them.
We work in many different locations and contexts and often push the boundaries of performance. We will strive to always operate in a relaxed manner. Relaxed comes from relaxed performances which offer a warm welcome to people, 'who find it difficult to follow the usual conventions of theatre behaviour'. For us, taking a relaxed approach means always asking:
How can people move in this space? Why? How much and what kind of noise is it okay for people to make in this space? Why? How is it okay for people to sit, stand, lie down in this space? Why?
What kind of information can we provide to people before the event or experience? What kind of information about our events or experiences will enable people to decide if an event or experience is for them? This includes telling people the answers to the questions above