Audio Description: Part II - A first hand experience

On a crisp fall afternoon, I settle into my seat at The Arden Theater for a production of The History Boys.  I’ve just finished speaking with Jenn Peck, General Manager at the Arden, who will be the audio describer for the performance.  Audio description allows people who are blind or have low vision to enjoy equal access to cultural events by providing descriptive information.  Peck audio describes three to five shows per year, believing strongly that the arts should be equally accessible to all.  In addition, she says, “Audio description gives me an artistic turn at things and an opportunity to be part of the performance.”
Prior to the start of the show, the House Manager provides listeners who are blind or have low vision with a wireless earpiece.  Peck begins with pre-show notes, preparing listeners with any essential descriptions she will not have time to give during the performance.  She provides a description of the stage, key characteristics of the main characters (e.g., skin color, what they are wearing), and an overview of two pivotal scenes happening in the first act.  As the performance begins, she gives listeners cues to what is happening on stage, such as “Stage manager exits” and “Blackout.” 

During the performance, Peck provides brief descriptions to give listeners only the most essential information, such as “Hector enters,” “Felix shakes his head,” and “She puts her hand on his shoulder.”  Succinct descriptions are particularly important for a show like The History Boys, which is heavy in dialogue.  When deciding what to describe, Peck says that the audio describer chooses “whatever moves the story forward,” rather than providing a running commentary.  Audio describers avoid interrupting dialogue unless absolutely necessary to convey key information.  As I listen, I realize that there are often several minutes during which there is no description at all, allowing listeners to fully hear every aspect of the performance. 
After the show, I have the opportunity to talk with several consumers of audio description.  Each of them describes the ways in which the description was helpful to them, gave them a better idea of what was happening on stage, and made the performance more interesting.  As one listener says, “I can’t always recognize voices, so [audio description] is helpful to help me identify people.”  When asked why audio description is important, another listener describes a time when he attended a performance without audio description.  “There was a ballet sequence, and I was so lost that I ended up going to sleep because I didn’t know what was going on.”  With the benefit of audio description, he says, “I can use my imagination” to know what is happening on stage.  “It helps me to follow the program and get more understanding of the program.”
For more information about audio description, visit the Audio Description Coalition’s website at www.audiodescriptioncoalition.org


-By Jennifer Oglesbee

Pssst…All Art-Reach Members

Have we got a great deal for you!  Utrecht Art Supplies is offering you a special 10% discount on all your purchases from both of their stores in Center City and will throw in free delivery for any orders over $100.

Why is this such a great deal, you say?  Well, it gets even better.

Utrecht is a Brooklyn-based company (they still make their own paint) started by two brothers 60 years ago and has been serving the Philadelphia community for almost 30 years. It already honors local competitors’ coupons by matching them. So get out those scissors and start clipping, and you can save 10% off already low prices on the highest quality paints, papers, and other materials for your organization or agency.

And there is another little reason to patronize this family-run, socially responsible business. Jennifer Demmer, the indefatigable outreach coordinator for Utrecht Philadelphia, informs us that the company  "hearts" Art-Reach: “Utrecht is proud to partner with an organization that gives access to the arts for groups such as at-risk youth, people with disabilities, and elderly people in need.”

Show Utrecht some Art-Reach love back. Click on this link http://philly.utrechtblog.com to start shopping for great deals on quality art products. They also have a knowledgeable staff of working artists to help you make the best selections. Satisfaction Guaranteed!

-by Kathy Spillman

The Independence Arts Studio Yearly Winter Exhibition

This Friday, December 11 from 4:30 to 7:00 pm, artists from the Independence Arts Studio (IAS) host their yearly winter exhibition in the Atrium lobby of The Sovereign Building located at 714 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. IAS is a member of Art-Reach and consists of talented artists who have disabilities. Their work will be available for purchase with 50% of each sale going to the IAS artists. Silk and Velvet hand dyed scarves and pillows will be available as well as watercolors, cards, prints and book marks. The event includes light refreshments and the artists will be on hand to talk with people visiting the exhibit. Permanent weavings and textiles will also be on display. For more information contact 215-634-2000 x333. 

Keswick Theater’s Toying With Science

Garry Krinsky played to a packed house on Monday morning at the Keswick Theater, and it’s fair to say that most of the 3rd through 5th graders in the audience got their share of “play” in as well.  Toying with Science is a colorful and energetic ride through some basic principles of science – some not so basic.  As a college graduate, I felt stumped by some of the questions asked by our host that some of the kids were able to readily answer.  When Sokhum, 12, told me that one of the new things that he was so excited to learn from Krinsky’s performance was what a fulcrum does, I thought, “…me too.”

A professional juggler by trade, in front of this wide eyed and attentive crowd, Krinsky became an experimental scientist. He walked us through the principles of balance, gravity, air resistance, and the elements of all sorts of simple machines with a thoughtful acronym that I heard kids rapping when the show ended.  “Don’t SLIP on the two W’s.”

A fun and educational field trip indeed, and one that has likely encouraged some students at Logan Hope to keep requests for more coming to teacher Lia Blankenship.  Others were just as excited to build their already-existing repertoire of learning experiences outside of the classroom.  Somy, 11, proudly recalled her last field trip to me, where performers created a fun show based on the alphabet, “…and I’ve seen plays before,” Emily, 11, added enthusiastically.  Thanks to the school staff, our Arts Partners, and Art-Reach, seems like “Edu-tainment” is a term that is being introduced to this crowd pretty early on.  That too was a term that I was excited to learn.

-by Brooke Whitaker

Now Introducing...

At Art-Reach, a new Arts Partner is like a new best friend.  So, Art-Reach supporters, I would like to introduce you to our new best friend: BalletX, a modern ballet company in Philadelphia.  The company and Art-Reach are both very excited about BalletX’s pledge of 20 tickets to a Saturday matinee during the Fall ’09, Spring ’10, and Summer ’10 shows.

Even more exciting for us is that BalletX is not just any modern ballet company, but a modern ballet company out to “redefine ballet and bring it into the new century.”  This mission seems apparent if you watch video clips of past performances on the BalletX web site, where dancers in simple costumes and ballet renditions of classic children’s stories like The Cat in the Hat grace the stage.  But to really understand what BalletX is all about, I needed to talk to its members.

I was lucky enough to catch a few minutes with artistic co-director and founding member Christine Cox while she was busy preparing for the Fall ’09 show.  As Christine says, the understanding for BalletX is that “If someone is choreographing a work right now, it has to be about today.” In other words, though BalletX performances may speak the classical language of ballet, the speakers are modern dancers and choreographers with contemporary accents who draw on contemporary inspiration.

Also, “because it’s being created today, it’s easier for an audience to relate and connect to.” And connect they do.  As publicity coordinator Inna Lobanova-Heasley comments, “We love our audience!  It is a special breed, it seems.  They react during performances and their enthusiasm is very inspiring to the dancers on stage.  There is a big exchange of energy during any given show, which is just amazing.” 

At the time this article went to cyber-press, the BalletX team was working like mad to finish the Fall ’09 show, which premieres November 19 at the Wilma Theater.  Christine promised three pieces, one sensitive, one inspired by the ocean, and one inspired by classical music.  But Inna has one piece of advice for the audience: “Whatever they expect, they will always be surprised!”


-Alli Blum

What are you thankful for?

Art-Reach wishes everyone a safe, happy and bountiful Thanksgiving Day feast, and in the spirit of the holiday season please share what you are most thankful for this year in your arts community. Have you had a tremendous experience that you wish to share? Have you witnessed the transformative power of the arts first hand? Did you have a blast visiting a museum or meeting an artist? This is a warm and fuzzy post, and we want to hear from you! Please take time to share your experience, and know that we are truly thankful for all of you!

What’s Audio Description?

Audio description allows people who are blind or have low vision to enjoy equal access to cultural events such as live performances, film, or television, providing individuals with descriptive information about visual elements during pauses in dialogue or narration.  Information is transmitted to listeners through a wireless earpiece, allowing people with visual impairments to sit anywhere in the audience during live performances.
Audio description is a means of communicating the most essential information about significant visual elements such as actions, body language, costumes, and settings.  Bill Patterson, owner of Audio Description Solutions and a founding member of the Audio Description Coalition, explains audio description as “being the eyes of the audience.  So much of our world comes to us through visual information.”  The audio describer’s role is to describe what he or she sees without interpretation or explanation.  For instance, rather than describing a character as “angry,” the audio describer would say, “Sarah clenches her fists.”  This allows listeners to draw their own conclusions. 

Audio describers come from a variety of backgrounds and participate in extensive training and coaching.  Qualities that make a good audio describer include strong verbal skills, a pleasant voice, and the ability to process information quickly.  Ermyn King, Manager of the PA Cultural Access Project at VSA arts of Pennsylvania, says, “It’s exhilarating to do audio description.  It requires the integrated application of so many principles, and when you do it well, the difference that it makes is indispensable to the listener.”
For more information about audio description, visit the Audio Description Coalition’s website at www.audiodescriptioncaoliation.org.

-Jennifer Oglesbee