Welcome. In this part of the unit, you will learn in more detail what audio introductions and touch tours are. As you have previously learned, audio introductions and touch tours are services aimed at increasing the access to the visual aspects of an event or performance before it starts, through the auditory and tactile channels. Audio introductions and touch tours are often offered together, which is why we also discuss them together here in this video. Let's start with audion introductions, often abbreviated as AIs. An audio introduction is a piece of narration of about 10 to 15 minutes long, which is read out live or recorded in the language of the performance by an audio describer. It includes factual and visual information about the performance or the event that make it easier for the audience to grasp the content of the production. The content of an audio introduction is tailored to the specific requirements of each performance or event, but it usually includes a short synopsis or description of the event and a description of the stage setting and the environment in which the event or performance takes place. Other staple topics related to the performance include the lighting and other special effects, as well as a description of the performers or the fictional characters and their costumes. Moreover AIs usually include some technical and practical information of which users of visual accessibility services should be aware. Firstly, the functioning of the devices used for transmitting the audio description, but also information about the building, such as the presence of stairs or steps, the location of toilets and the emergency exits. What is included or not also depends on the moment at which and where the audio description is delivered before the performance. How does one go about making an audio introduction? Audio describers are the professionals that prepare the AI based on the programme leaflet if it is available, based on information about the event or performance online, additional research and feedback from the artistic team. They also take into account what they expect to be able to include in the AD itself, which is offered during the performance. A good AI serves as a framework for audiences to better understand and enjoy the event or performance. It engages the listener’s attention, whets their appetite, and, most importantly, enables them to appreciate the performance’s inherent visual qualities. In theatre settings, audio introductions are usually read live by the audio describer from a sound-proof booth and audiences receive the signal through wireless headphones, the same way they listen to the audio description. But AIs can also be pre-recorded and offered via the organisation’s website or sent to patrons on CD in advance of the event. Now let's turn to touch tours. Live audio introductions can in some cases be combined with what are called touch tours. These are guided tours, during which blind and visually impaired audiences can access the stage and set before the performance. Patrons can then explore the space or stage, and handle selected props, costumes and furniture. Touch tours firm up the descriptive information that audiences have already received in the audio introduction and provides them with extra detail to allow them to engage with the production. Touch tours usually last approximately 30 minutes. They need the involvement of the audio describers, technical staff, stage management and the company in order to work smoothly. But it is usually the audio describer, who also makes the audio introduction, who prepares and guides these touch tours. It is important to know that audio introductions and touch tours are almost always combined with audio description during the performance, about which you learned previously. A good introduction and related touch tour therefore interacts seamlessly with the information provided in the audio description because it can anticipate events for which there is very little time to describe them during the performance. Only in very specific cases can an audio introduction and/or a touch tour be offered without audio description during the performance and this should be discussed carefully with the professional audio describer, who is best placed to advise on this issue, in consultation with the artistic director of the production. Now that you know what audio introductions are, it is time to look at some examples provided through the links below. However, if you can find a theatre nearby that offers the service, make sure you book a ticket to experience it yourself.
