Artistic Audio Description for Dance – BIPoC-Only

The theatre space must be a space for gathering, creativity, and reflection, designed by, for, and with marginalized communities. Audio description is one of many tools that helps facilitate this. Traditionally, audio description is a spoken, »neutral« account of what can be seen on a screen, stage or image, enabling blind and low-vision people to access visual content. In this workshop, however, we will focus on artistic audio description, a form that evolved out of the classical approach.

With artistic audio description, just like classical audio description, we consider the entire soundscape and the diverse perception styles of blind and low-vision people. However, we take it a step further: we understand audio description not just as an additional accessibility service that merely «reports” what is happening on stage, but as an integral aspect of the choreographic-artistic work (alongside elements like costume, dance, and music). This approach allows access to the artistic experience of a dance piece, and brings the marginalised to the centre, specifically low-vision and blind persons also as the intended audience. We do not assume neutrality; rather, we acknowledge subjectivity: racialized and marginalized bodies and their expressions, both on and off stage, are not offered neutrality in our society. We recognize neutrality as an enforced narrative that perpetuates whiteness and white culture. By inviting subjectivity, we explore audio description as an artistic tool. No dance, no intention, no dancer is exactly the same, and our descriptions and styles of description must reflect this. It is precisely the richness of subjectivity that makes art engaging and allow us to experience ourselves reflected in the work. We aim to embrace and include this richness in our approach.

In January 2025, we invite blind and low-vision persons, as well as dance professionals of all sight levels who are interested in learning about artistic audio description for dance and would like to try it out for themselves. Participants can be artists or members of the audience. Important: No previous experience in dance or audio description is required to participate in this workshop.

The workshop will be led by Naomi Sanfo-Ansorge and Zwoisy Mears-Clarke. Its aim is to familiarize participants with audio description for dance while providing space for their own creativity. Alongside moving and dancing, you will try out various approaches to developing audio descriptions, as well as different modes of speaking and styles of describing. Additionally, Zwoisy and Naomi will present their work as an audio description and dramaturgy team, demonstrating how the methods practiced in the workshop can be transferred to the development process of a dance production. Dramaturgy refers to the structure of a piece. Blind and low-vision dramaturges play a crucial role in ensuring that the intentions of the choreographers are effectively conveyed through the choreographic interplay of dance, costume, audio description, lighting design, and more, ultimately creating an engaging artistic experience for blind and low-vision audiences.

Breaks

On both workshop days, there will be several short breaks as needed and a longer lunch break (13:00 – 14:30). The duration of the breaks will depend on the needs of the workshop participants and guide dogs. Additionally, a free lunch (vegetarian/vegan/gluten-free, lactose-free options available) will be provided on both days at the Peacetanbul restaurant located on the theatre grounds.

Costs

Participation is free of charge with registration. Kampnagel will cover the cost of lunch; however, we are unable to cover expenses for drinks, travel, or accommodation.

Registration

This workshop is exclusively for BIPoCs (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), i.e. people who are negatively affected by racism. Mixed Race? We encourage your participation. By registering, you confirm that you have read the conditions and identify as a racialized person or BIPoC. A more detailed description of our (Zwoisy and Naomi) understandings of this umbrella term can be found further below. There are a maximum of 10 spots available in the workshop. If there are more registrations than available spots, priority will be given to blind and low-vision persons.

To register, please send an email to barrierefreiheit@kampnagel.de by 15th January 2025 the latest and include the following information:

• Name
• Why are you interested in this workshop? (maximum 3 sentences)
• How can we best reach you (email / phone)?
• For accessibility reasons, do you need assistance getting to and from the nearest public transport station to Kampnagel, or assistance during the workshop? Kampnagel can provide an assistant free of charge.
• Will you be coming with a guide dog? Will you be coming with your own assistant?
• Do you have any food allergies or intolerances?
• If you have any general questions or inquiries about accessibility, please feel free to reach out to us.

Workshop leaders:

Naomi Sanfo-Ansorge is a freelance performer, dance teacher, audio describer, and dramaturge specializing in dance and music theatre. Since February 2022, she has been a dancer in the dance company Chorosom. Naomi holds a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education from the University of Hamburg and completed her dance teacher training at the Erika Klütz Schule of Hamburg in 2019. As a low-vision dance-maker, Naomi integrates her personal perception style and the diverse perspectives of blind and low-vision audiences into her work, using various means of accessibility as artistic inspiration.

Zwoisy Mears-Clarke is a choreographer of the encounter. This reflects both in their approach as a choreographer and as a community organizer. Since the beginning of Zwoisy's career, they have taken an intersectional approach to developing dance productions for audiences of low-vision, blind, and sighted people. Zwoisy uses the potential of dance, audio description, poetry and storytelling to make forms of oppression such as (neo-)colonialism, racism, queerphobia and ableism visible and to enable encounters that would be impossible under other circumstances.

A note on the term BIPoC:

We, Zwoisy and Naomi, understand BIPoCs as those who are descended (through one or more parents) from the African continent, East, West, and South Asia, the Middle East, Indigenous peoples of Australasia, the Americas, the Caribbean, and the Indo-Pacific regions. In addition, this term encompasses Black, Latinx, Sinti, Roma, Indigenous, (post-)migrant, and racialized people, Travellers, and mixed-race people. It does not include the descendants of Europeans who migrated to Africa, Asia or America for professional/colonial reasons, nor white European migrants. We recognize that race is a social construct and that racialized experiences can vary depending on context. Please note that this definition of BIPoC reflects lived experiences in European and other Western contexts and is still evolving. We, Zwoisy and Naomi, welcome feedback, conversation and revision. Feel free to contact us to start a conversation.