Subtitles & audio description (a narrated soundtrack) enable people with a hearing or visual impairment to enjoy movies at the cinema. Most popular films are now available in a subtitled & audio described format and more than 270 UK cinemas screen thousands of 'accessible' shows every week.

Currently, only 7 cinemas in Wales provide this service. This September (2007) Arts Council of Wales funding will enable 10 MORE cinemas in Wales to become 'accessible'.

The 10 cinemas below plan a regular programme of subtitled & audio described screenings from September 2007.

Aberystwyth Arts Centre

Bangor, Gwynedd, Theatr Gwynedd.

Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Galeri

Cardiff Chapter Arts (2 screens).

Cardigan, Wales, Theatr Mwldan

Colywn Bay Conwy, Wales, Theatr Colwyn

Mold, Flintshire, Clwyd Theatr Cymru

Newport Riverfront

Powys, Builth Wells, Wyeside Arts Centre (2 screens).

Swansea Taliesin Arts Centre

 

More info and subtitled & audio described cinema listings:
http://www.yourlocalcinema.com
or email subtitles@yourlocalcinema.com

 

ALSO!

SCOTLAND TO DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF 'SUBTITLED' CINEMAS!

Thanks to Scottish Arts Council funding, over the next few months the amount of 'subtitled' cinemas in Scotland will be doubled - from 15 to 30.

Currently, 15 cinemas in Scotland have a subtitle/description system. In July/August 2007 this number will double. Scottish Arts Council funding will enable 15 more cinemas in Scotland to become accessible.

Read more HERE.

 

WALES: OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

NEW AUDIO DESCRIBED AND SOFT SUBTITLED CINEMA SCREENINGS LAUNCH AT TEN ART CENTRES ACROSS WALES

Ten arts centre/ cinema venues across Wales will launch subtitled and audio described film screenings in September this year, making it possible for Deaf and hard of hearing people, and blind and visually impaired people to enjoy the cinema experience with friends and family.

In Wales, there are over 480,000 individuals with hearing loss or hearing related difficulties and 100,000 with serious sight loss. With almost every popular cinema release now available with subtitles and audio description this new project will bring tremendous benefit to audiences across Wales.

The quality of the audio description and subtitling is excellent. “The audio description accurately describes the film’s action sequences alongside the dialogue, making the cinema experience very evocative and detailed and helping to build up a mental picture of the film. You really have to experience it to understand just how good it is,” commented William Phillips, the project’s Technical Manager.

The ten art centre/ cinema venues all agreed to be part of the scheme following research commissioned by The Arts Council of Wales. After a complete audit of projection facilities and with funding from The Arts Council of Wales Capital Lottery scheme, Creative Mwldan Creadigidol (a media centre in Cardigan) managed the installation of technical equipment, supported venues with appropriate staff training and worked closely with The Arts Council of Wales and The Film Agency for Wales to launch and market the new facilities.

An important part of the project has been the establishment of a common standard of best practice to ensure a reasonable level of accessible screenings and appropriate marketing of the new facilities. This standard is the result of research and consultation with organisations such as Disability Arts Cymru, RNID, RNIB and yourlocalcinema.com.

The project is hoped to reflect a shift of attitude and perception and help provide the best service for disabled audiences in Wales. Maggie Hampton of Disability Arts Cymru and ACW Council Member, commented: “Participating cinemas will be dealing with a whole new area of audience development, bearing in mind that deaf and blind people have been excluded from cinema, and simply may not think about going to see a film. So a lot needs to change, but there will be an audience once the groundwork has been done.”

Notes:

More than £150,000 has been made available to cinemas in Wales, to enable more hearing or visually impaired people to enjoy the cinema. The funds have helped to increase the number of cinemas with subtitle and audio description facilities.

Creative Mwldan Creadigidol (CMC) was appointed to the project following a formal tender process by The Arts Council of Wales. After the initial audit of projection facilities, CMC applied to The Arts Council of Wales Lottery Unit for a capital grant of £153,265 (90% of the total project cost) to implement the recommendations.

The bid was successful and CMC was responsible for re-auditing the venues’ existing equipment, tendering and appointing a contractor to install the equipment, overseeing the installation process, researching and establishing programming and marketing best practice guidelines, providing Disability Awareness Training and training for technical, front of house, programming and marketing staff.

As part of the grant conditions, venues committed to providing a 'reasonable' level of subtitled and audio described screenings to the public, in line with the Programming Best Practice Guidelines which have been produced as a result of the research and consultation.

In Wales, there are over 480,000 individuals with hearing loss or hearing related difficulties and 100,000 with serious sight loss. (Source: RNID Cymru and RNIB Cymru).

 

Contact details:

Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan
(Theatr Mwldan, Aberteifi)
01239 621200 www.mwldan.co.uk

Aberystwyth Arts Centre
(Canolfan Gelfyddydau Aberystwyth)
01970 623 232 www.aberystwythartscentre.co.uk

Chapter Arts Centre
(Canolfan Gelfyddydau Chapter)
02920 304 400 www.chapter.org

The Riverfront, Newport (Glan yr Afon, Casnewydd)
01633 656757 www.newpor.gov.uk

Galeri, Caernarfon
(Galeri, Caernarfon)
01286 685222 www.galericaernarfon.com

Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea
(Canolfan Gelfyddydau Taliesin, Abertawe)
01792 60 20 60 ww.taliesinartscentre.co.uk

Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Mold
(Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Yr Wyddgrug)
0845 330 3565 www.clwyd-theatr-cymru.co.uk

Theatr Colwyn, Colwyn Bay
(Theatr Colwyn, Bae Colwyn)
01492 532668 / 872000 www.theatrcolwyn.co.uk

Theatr Gwynedd, Bangor
(Theatr Gwynedd, Bangor)
01248 351708 www.theatrgwynedd.co.uk

Wyeside Arts Centre, Builth Wells
(Canolfan Gelfyddydau Glannau Gwy, Llanfair-ym-Muall)
01982 552555 www.wyeside.co.uk

 

More info and subtitled & audio described cinema listings:
http://www.yourlocalcinema.com
or email subtitles@yourlocalcinema.com

 

 

Subtitles & audio description (a narrated soundtrack) enable people with a hearing or visual impairment to enjoy movies at the cinema. Most popular films are now available with subtitles & audio description and more than 250 UK cinemas screen thousands of 'accessible' shows every week.

 

 

 

Sponsored by the UK film industry - please visit our sponsors: