Sheffield Secure Funding to Launch Innovative Approach to Captioned Performances

Sheffield Theatres has secured funding from the Boshier-Hinton Foundation to become the first venue in the North of England to offer innovative captioning facilities for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. The theatre will now be able to offer individuals handheld tablets in the Studio Theatre to provide captioning facilities, beginning with Deborah Bruce's comedy, The Distance.

Users of the new tablets will have the freedom to sit wherever they choose in the auditorium to enjoy the production, with the handheld tablets providing accompanying text which can be altered in size according to needs. This is a more comfortable and convenient alternative to the standard captioning, which is usually offered to the side of the stage on a large screen.

This new service further enhances the Access programme at Sheffield Theatres, which already offers Captioned, Signed and Audio Described performances, as well as Touch Tours of sets and costumes, theatre familiarisation tours and Relaxed Performances for selected shows.

Claire Murray, Communications and Fundraising Director commented, 'It's vitally important to us that we are able to welcome everyone to our performances. Thanks to the funding from the Boshier-Hinton Foundation we are delighted to be able to now offer captioning using tablet devices. This will enable us to caption performances in the Studio Theatre which, due to the great flexibility of the space, has been impossible in the past. We have received great feedback from audience members who have trialled the tablets so far and we're excited to see how these devices can support us in further improving our accessibility in the future.'

Further tablet captioned performances in the Studio Theatre are planned for the theatres' spring season, on sale now. For further details please contact Sheffield Theatres' Box Office on 0114 249 6000 or email access@sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

Tickets for The Distance can be purchased from Sheffield Theatres' Box Office in-person, by phone on 0114 249 6000 or online at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk and are priced from £14.00 (Concessions, school and group discounts available). A transaction fee of £1.50 (£1.00 online) applies to all bookings made at the Box Office (excluding cash).

For further information contact: Lisa Hawkins Communications Officer (Media) at Sheffield Theatres on 0114 201 3828 or email l.hawkins@sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

The Boshier-Hinton Foundation exists to improve quality of life for people with disabilities or learning difficulties, and their families, in any part of the country, by making donations to charitable institutions providing facilities and advocacy for children and adults with special educational or other needs: or by making donations to other registered Charities: or by making donations to local community charities or other agencies in any part of the country whose objects are no wider than the charity's own, or to any charity for particular purposes which fall within the Foundation's objects.

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