Extant, the UK’s leading professional performing arts company of blind and visually impaired artists, is set to make history at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
In a landmark collaboration with ZOO Venues, Sight Scotland, and Visually Impaired Creators Scotland (VICS), Extant will transform a Fringe venue into a fully accessible space for visually impaired audiences for the first time.
Last year, only around 40 shows at the Fringe offered audio description. This year, Extant is raising the bar by ensuring full accessibility at ZOO Venues, demonstrating a bold commitment to inclusion.
Three headline performances will feature Extant Enhance, a pioneering programme that reimagines accessibility as a creative and collaborative process. Audiences can expect live programme notes and tactile touch tours led by the performing company.
The featured shows include Holly Gifford’s Big Little Sister, Shaper/Caper’s Small Town Boys, and Full Out Formula/Almanac Projects’ I Think It Could Work.
Holly Gifford, writer of Big Little Sister, said:
“We’re so excited to be working with Extant to provide access performances of our show. The story we’re telling is one that needs to reach the right audiences, and being part of Enhance not only makes that possible—it expands what storytelling means to us.”
Extant Enhance offers a flexible model for productions of all sizes, from simple self-descriptions to headset-based live audio description delivered by trained professionals.
ZOO Venues staff will receive visual impairment awareness training from Extant facilitators, while creative teams will also be trained in touch tours and accessible practices.
Visually impaired audiences will be invited to join the Extant Theatre Club, which offers free tickets and fosters community engagement.
The programme also includes the return of Extant’s annual Open House on Access, a space for dialogue and practical advice on inclusive arts practices.
Tam Gilbert, Extant’s Trainee Artistic Director, commented:
“Extant are thrilled to be partnering with ZOO this year to increase accessibility for visually impaired audiences at Edinburgh Fringe. Our team are all very excited to attend and with our three Enhanced performances – complete with touch tours and programme notes showcasing VI accessibility at its finest – and our Open House event, we can promise an enriched experience for everyone to enjoy!”
This initiative sets a new benchmark for accessible programming at the Fringe and across the UK, celebrating the voices and talents of blind and visually impaired artists and audiences.
More information can be found here.
