Students Host Sensory Tours
Meet Your Sensory Tour Guides
As part of Fairy Tree’s theatre production and our Workability: Inclusive Pathways to Employment Programme, Performing Arts School students Jessica, Aoibhín, Sinead, Niamh and Roisin (theatre ensemble) are hosting the pre-show Sensory Tours, along with mentor Dave Donovan.
What is a Sensory Tour?
The Sensory Tour is a tactile exploration of the geography of a theatre space, the stage, selected props, costumes and sound/light effects that would be encountered during a performance.
They can be very beneficial to theatre patrons who are blind, visually impaired, on the autistic spectrum, non-verbal or have intellectual difficulties.The Tour can also be beneficial for those who process differently. The Guides briefly outline the story of the show, answer questions and guide participants through the tour in a relaxed and welcoming manner.
“They were a good way for people with different disabilities to gain a better understanding of the show before it started. All of us Tour Guides really looked forward to welcoming those taking part.” – Jessica.
The Importance of Accessibility
In 2022, we were the first company in Galway to present sensory tours as an optional audience support. It transpires, that for some of our patrons, it was their first time to venture into a theatre.
“Being allowed the time to be curious and acclimate to unfamiliar surroundings is a valuable part of the theatre going experience for any first time audience member. Our students training as the guides, brings an added dimension, an authenticity to the experience – it’s wonderful, we never stop learning from each other.” – Hillary Kavanagh, Producer.
Front of House Work Experience at The Mick Lally Theatre
As every performance venue knows, a good front of house team makes the audience experience most enjoyable. Our Front of House team for Fairy Tree have already played the vital role of ushers and accessibility programme guides at venues in Galway, most notably at The Mick Lally Theatre, thanks to the partnership with Druid Theatre
The students learned a lot from these live event experiences, interacting with the public and putting their newly learned hosting skills into practice.
Pobal’s WorkAbility: Inclusive Pathways to Employment Programme is a five year programme, co-funded by the EU Employment, Inclusion, Skills, and Training Programme (EIST) 2021-2027 and the Department of Social Protection (DSP).
For more about WorkAbility, visit our dedicated page here
