A wide shot of a group of nine dancers and theatre makers gathered around Holly. They are in a black box theatre space: floor, walls and ceiling are all black. Holly is sitting in front of a roll of paper, several metres long, weighted down at each end. On the paper Holly has broken down the stages of a contemporary dance class. The group are listening to Holly and looking at the paper, deep in thought. Some kneel or sit, some stand. They wear loose, comfortable clothing in bright reds, pinks, greens and black.
Pathways into Dance: Creative Audio Describer for Contemporary Dance Class
In 2022 Holly Thomas and I co-designed a training lab to explore how to make contemporary dance class / workshops more accessible to blind and partially sighted dancers and to imagine into the role of a Creative Audio Describer for Class. Following this lab, GATHER UP have been piloting the role for the classes and workshops they programme for dance practitioners in Bristol, UK.
Below is a write up of the day, which we hope can serve as a resource when thinking about how to make contemporary dance spaces more accessible and how to create more pathways into dance. We welcome feedback on the resource, questions and interest in developing the CAD role further.
You can also read Kit Hall’s reflections on the day here: https://www.gatherup.live/news/2023/11/10/reflections-on-cad-workshop-training