Philadelphia Theatres Combine To Launch Audio Description Learning Network

Thanks to funding from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA), a new accessibility initiative called the Audio Description Learning Network (ADLN) will launch an audio describer recruitment and training initiative for the 2023-2024 theatre season throughout the greater Philadelphia region.

Similar to radio plays or narration, audio description involves the verbal depiction of visual images and actions, and is used by audiences who are Blind, have Low-Vision, or are Visually Impaired to more fully experience cultural events. The ADLN will open its recruitment process with free audio description training sessions on Tuesday, October 10 and Friday, October 13.

"Philadelphia-area theatre is increasingly diverse in terms of the stories being told and who is telling them," notes Leigh Jackson, Director of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility Programming at People's Light. "There is a need for theatrical audio-description to represent that diversity as well and the ADLN seeks to address that disparity head-on."

The mission of ADLN's training project is to increase the number of audio describers working with theatres across the Philadelphia region and to diversify the bench of audio describers so that they reflect the actors and productions they are describing. In addition to a free introductory training in audio description, the ADLN also offers a Fellowship Program that seeks to recruit and train audio describers who are members of the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities, mirroring greater representation on area stages.

The ADLN was born out of an existing network of regional theatres known as the Accessibility Cohort, a cooperative information-sharing network established in 2019 by Marcie Bramucci, Executive Artistic Director of Hedgerow Theatre, and is now run by Jackson along with Sunflower Rose of Theatre Horizon. The Cohort is comprised of staff members from more than 30 regional theatres who all share a passion and concern for arts accessibility. The ADLN began with four cohort members who focused on Audio Description as a service area in need of attention. Participating theatres for the 2023-2024 season are Hedgerow Theatre in Rose Valley, People's Light in Malvern, and Wilma Theater and 1812 Productions in Center City Philadelphia.

Tyler Melchior, 1812 Productions' Marketing and Public Relations Director and ADLN co-creator, says, "Philadelphia theatre artists and administrators have a long history of working collaboratively, and the Accessibility Cohort is a great example of this spirit of cooperation. To have these four established organizations jump in to create the ADLN is remarkable. We're all eager to get started, and thankful to Pennsylvania Council on the Arts for supporting the work."

The initial training will be led by renowned Philadelphia audio describer Nicole Sardella, who has facilitated a large number of audio-described experiences in the Philly arts community for many years.

"As Nicole has noted for a long time, we need more individuals trained in this important work, especially BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+ individuals, to better reflect the expanding narratives on our stages," adds Bramucci. "The ADLN begins to intentionally address that need, and we are grateful for Nicole's expertise in training a new cohort of describers."

After designing and implementing a similar Audio Description fellowship for the Wilma Theater, Lee Etzold, Philadelphia artist and Director of the Hello Arts Collective, an access-focused arts organization, was tapped to serve as project manager for the ADLN.

"We've focused a lot on listening to what Audiences, Audio Describers, and Theater Organizations need to make live theater accessible," said Etzold. "We designed this Fellowship to address as many of those needs as possible. Our hope is that we not only create better representation in accessibility services but also that we create access to information and resources to further this necessary work. Theatres have opened their doors following an unprecedented few years. We want to make sure everyone feels welcome and can enjoy the experience."

The ADLN will open its recruitment process with free audio description training sessions on Tuesday, October 10 and Friday, October 13 with noted Philadelphia Audio Describer Nicole Sardella. Following the training process, trainees will have the opportunity to apply to become Audio Describer Fellows. This paid fellowship will involve rigorous practice during professional productions and feedback sessions with coaches, mentors, theater staff, and members of the blind and low-vision community. The ADLN will provide fellows and training sites with the necessary equipment and create an information archive available to other organizations seeking to implement similar accessibility training.

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