Feel the Gap: Bridging the Gap between Inclusive Theatre and Technology

Feel the Gap: Bridging the Gap between Inclusive Theatre and Technology

Educational Technology

Alexandra Tzanidou Sami Abosaleh

Collaborators THEAMA theatre ensemble

Abstract

Feel the Gap aims to connect inclusive theatre with technology to create a more accessible experience for all.

Method

The project focuses on offering touch tours for blind visitors, providing them with the opportunity to connect with the actors and artifacts of a performance before the performance takes place.

Takeaways

The project recognizes the importance of designing inclusive experiences rather than just products and aims to create a comprehensive guide or toolkit for designing inclusive experiences in various spaces.

Feel the Gap aims to connect inclusive theatre with technology to create a more accessible experience for all. The project focuses on offering touch tours for blind visitors, providing them with the opportunity to connect with the actors and artifacts before the performance takes place. This will enhance their understanding and experience of the performance.

The project is based on the Social Model of Disability which recognizes that disability is often a result of poor design that does not consider the needs of individuals with disabilities.

It is the result of collaboration between experts in academia and the arts, and aims to create a prototype system that can be used in real-life settings. The approach of using technology to promote inclusion through art has already led to discussions with international universities in Greece and Japan.

The goal of Feel the Gap is to educate artists and audiences on the importance of creating and consuming inclusive experiences.
The goal of Feel the Gap is to educate artists and audiences on the importance of creating and consuming inclusive experiences.

Feel the Gap is part of a larger project that aims to create a comprehensive guide or toolkit for designing inclusive experiences in physical, digital, and hybrid spaces. The project recognises that modern societies often prioritize information communication over experience creation and aims to focus on creating inclusive experiences that can be interpreted and enjoyed by everyone, not just those who fit a specific ableistic model.

The Feel the Gap project is a collaboration between Human Computer Interaction researchers at Newcastle University and the first inclusive professional theatre ensemble in Greece, THEAMA.
The Feel the Gap project is a collaboration between Human Computer Interaction researchers at Newcastle University and the first inclusive professional theatre ensemble in Greece, THEAMA.

The project is guided and supervised by several experts in academia and is being developed as part of the PhD studies of Alexandra Tzanidou and Sami Abosaleh. The expertise and experimentation on the topics of art and inclusion are provided by the professionals at THEAMA theatre ensemble, which is directed by Vasilis Oikonomou.

It recognizes the importance of designing inclusive experiences rather than just products and aims to create a comprehensive guide or toolkit for designing inclusive experiences in various spaces. With the help of experts in academia and the arts, the project is making significant progress and creating new opportunities for collaboration and growth.

Publications

From Inclusive Theatre to inclusive technologies: Lessons learnt from co-designing Touch Tours with an Inclusive Theatre group. Tzanidou A, Al Husein S A, Lindsay S, Durrant A, Vlachokyriakis V. DIS 23. DOI.