In The Frame : Descriptive gallery events organised by Artlink:

Descriptive guided gallery tours or visits:

Pandora's Light Box
New poetry reading in the Talbot Rice Gallery, The University of Edinburgh, South Bridge.
Tuesday 31 August 2pm.

Dutch Landscapes: The Queen's Gallery
Tuesday 7 September or
Saturday 30 October: 10:30 - 12.


National Galleries of Scotland:

Guided Tours and Workshop for the visually impaired:

Tours and Workshops for the Visually Impaired - Impressionist Gardens: Wednesday 13 October 2010.

Tours and Workshops for the Visually Impaired - Robert Therrien: Wednesday 10 November 2010.

Tours and Workshops for the Visually Impaired - French Drawings: Wednesday 23 February 2011.


The Queen's Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse:

Directions, programme of exhibitions and information on arrangements for the visually impaired.


National Museums of Scotland

Edinburgh City Art Centre

can make arrangements for the Visually Impaired.


Glasgow Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum


Glasgow Museum of Transport


Booking for the theatre? - Ask about Touch Tours

There is often a Touch Tour available before an audio-described performance, when users of the service can explore the stage sets and handle costumes and props. Members of the production team are on hand to give insights into the production process. Many sighted patrons would love to have this opportunity. Don't forget to ask when you book whether there is a Touch Tour available. Often it is not possible to advertise these Touch Tours in advance in this Diary because the theatres don't know till the touring company arrives whether they can accommodate a Touch Tour. So ask when you book, or at the beginning of the performance week.


His Majesty's Theatre Aberdeen.

His Majesty's returns to the newly refurbished Theatre with an extensive programme of audio description:

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat;
Peter Pan;
The Rocky Horror Show;
Spamalot;
Calendar Girls;
Geometry and Grace (Scottish Ballet);
Chess - the Musical;
Cinderella (Scottish Ballet).


Birds of Paradise.

Clutter Keeps Company - St Andrews Byre Theatre;
Clutter Keeps Company - Eastwood Park Theatre (Giffnock);
Clutter Keeps Company - Woodend Barn, Banchory.

Who or what are Birds of Paradise?
Here is an excerpt from their brochure:

BIRDS OF PARADISE is a professional touring theatre company, which produces adventurous and challenging work that places disability in the public arena. The Company has toured throughout Scotland for 12 years with inventive programmes of performances and workshops, both for traditional theatre-going audiences and people who have difficulty experiencing theatre due to disability or geographical isolation.

Click on this link to visit their web site.


Children's Festival.

Over for 2009.


Cumbernauld Theatre.

No audio descriptions notified.


Dundee Repertory Theatre.

Please note Audio descriptions begin with a prologue ten minutes before curtain up.

A Doll's House;
Sleeping Beauty.


Edinburgh Netherbow Theatre. (The Scottish Storytelling Centre)

No audio descriptions notified.


Edinburgh Festival & Kings Theatres

Shows at EFT:

Stepping Out;
Girls' Night Out;
Billy Elliot The Musical;
Peter Pan;
When Harry Met Sally;
Calamity Castle;
Porgy and Bess;
Sunshine on Leith;
The Secret Garden.

Shows at the Kings:

Caledonia;
Calendar Girls;
Punk Rock;
Carrie's War;
Bedroom Farce;
Lark Rise to Candleford;
2 Pianos 4 Hands;
Enron;
Edinburgh Gang Show 2010;
Jack and the Beanstalk.


Edinburgh International Festival

The Sun Also Rises - Edinburgh Royal Lyceum;
Porgy and Bess - Edinburgh Festival Theatre;
Vieux Carre - Edinburgh Royal Lyceum;
Caledonia - Edinburgh Kings Theatre;
Agua - Edinburgh Playhouse.


Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Finished till 2010 season.


Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo 2010.


Edinburgh Playhouse

Les Miserables;
The Rocky Horror Show.


Edinburgh Royal Lyceum

The Beauty Queen of Leenane;
Every One;
The Cherry Orchard.


Edinburgh Theatre Workshop.

No audio descriptions notified.


Edinburgh Traverse.

While You Lie.


Glasgow Citizens Theatre.

No audio descriptions notified.


Glasgow Kings Theatre.

Peter Pan;
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat;
Footloose;
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs;
We Will Rock You.


Glasgow RSAMD Athenaeum Theatre.

No audio descriptions notified.


Glasgow Theatre Royal.

The History Boys;
Geometry and Grace;
The Habit of Art.


Glasgow Tramway Theatre.

No audio descriptions notified.


Glasgow Tron Theatre.

Empty;
The Miracle Man;
Raspberry.


Eden Court Theatre, Inverness.

Romeo and Juliet;
Whisky Kisses;
When Harry Met Sally;
Peter Pan;
The Vagina Monologues;
The Gruffalo;
Jacobite Country;
Calendar Girls;
Sunshine on Leith;
Calamity Castle;
Geometry and Grace.


Kirkcaldy Adam Smith Theatre.

No audio descriptions notified.


Musselburgh Brunton Theatre.

Mother Goose.


National Theatre of Scotland.

Empty - Glasgow Tron Theatre;
The Miracle Man - Glasgow Tron Theatre;
Peter Pan - Glasgow Kings Theatre;
Peter Pan - Eden Court Theatre, Inverness;
Peter Pan - Edinburgh Festival Theatre;
Peter Pan - His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen.


Eastgate Theatre and Arts Centre, Peebles

Audio description comes to Peebles with the first audi-described production of Two on Thursday 25 March 2010.
Two.


Perth Theatre

Jane Eyre.

Please note Audio descriptions begin with a prologue ten minutes before curtain up.

Perth Theatre Touch Tours and Audio bus

Perth Theatre arrange an Audio Bus to pick up locally and from the Bus and Train Stations, for a £1 donation.

TOUCH TOUR (must be pre-booked)
Touch Tours are available on all shows; please let Box Office know if you would like a tour of the set, props and costumes. Tours are organised to run on the same days as the Audio Described performances and will commence at approximately 6.00pm on Thursday and 1.00pm on Saturday. The Audio Bus runs on both of these days and arrangement for collection before the Touch Tours can be organised.

Please contact Box Office on 01738 621031 to book your tickets. Contact Jen Hoy, Asst. Front of House Manager on 01738 472700 to book a seat on the Audio Bus, Touch Tour or for more information.


Pitlochry Festival Theatre Season 2009.

2009 Season finished.

There are no set dates for audio description at Pitlochry: they just do it on demand subject to availability! Audio Description is available for any play performance for people with visual impairments. Just phone the Box Office on 01796 484626 and the staff will check for availability. Please try and give at least 2 days notice prior to the performance.

Kiss Me Kate;
Noises Off;
Rough Crossing;
Bus Stop;
An Ideal Husband;
Nana.


St Andrews Byre Theatre

Clutter Keeps Company;
The Open.


Stirling macrobert Theatre

No audio descriptions notified.


Scottish Theatres Touring Consortium:

No audio descriptions notified.


Scottish Ballet

Romeo and Juliet - His Majesty's Theatre Aberdeen;
Romeo and Juliet - Eden Court Theatre Inverness;
Geometry and Grace - Glasgow Theatre Royal.


Scottish Opera

La boheme - His Majesty's Theatre Aberdeen;
La boheme - Eden Court Theatre Inverness.

Are you getting your audio tapes?

For some years now Scottish Opera, with the support of Playback, Glasgow, has been producing pre-performance tapes for visually impaired users of the audio-description service. This is a wonderful service, unique to Scottish Opera. Each tape contains a synopsis of the action of the opera, a description of the stage sets and the costumes worn by the cast, a very informative talk by a senior member of the Music Department, about points to listen for in the music, and an interview with the producer.

Some users of the service may not know about these tapes, which are sent out free by Scottish Opera for audio-described performances in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness

Order your tape when you book your seat and headset. These tapes are only available to the visually impaired.


Round the Cinemas

Aberdeen Belmont Picturehouse

No audio descriptions notified; try Yourlocalcinema.


Aberdeen Cineworld Union Square

Friday 30 - Thursday 5 August:
Inception (12A);
Friday 30, Saturday 31 July:
Predators (15).


Aberdeen Queens Link Cineworld

Sunday 1, Monday 2 August:
Toy Story 3 3D (U).


Aberdeen Vue Cinema

Friday 30 - Thursday 5 August:
Inception (12A);

Friday 23 - Tuesday 3 August:
Shrek Forever After 3D (U).


Ayr Odeon

No audio descriptions notified; try Yourlocalcinema.


Dundee Cineworld

Friday 30 July - Thursday 5 August:
Shrek Forever After 3D (U);
Toy Story 3 3D (U).


Dundee Odeon

No audio descriptions notified; try Yourlocalcinema.


Dunfermline Odeon

No audio descriptions notified; try Yourlocalcinema.


East Kilbride Odeon

No audio descriptions notified; try Yourlocalcinema.


Edinburgh Cineworld

Friday 30 July - Thursday 5 August:
Toy Story 3 3D (U).


Edinburgh Filmhouse

Friday 30 July - Thursday 5 August:
Please Give (15).


Edinburgh Ocean Terminal Vue Cinema

Friday 30 July - Thursday 5 August:
Shrek Forever After 2D (U).


Edinburgh Odeon Lothian Road

Friday 23 - Thursday 5 August:
Inception (12A).


Edinburgh Odeon Wester Hailes

Friday 23 - Tuesday 3 August:
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (12A).


Edinburgh Vue Cinema (Omni)

Friday 23 - Thursday 5 August:
The Karate Kid (PG).


Falkirk Cineworld

Friday 23 - Thursday 5 August:
Toy Story 3 3D (U).


Glasgow Braehead Odeon

No audio descriptions notified; try Yourlocalcinema.


Glasgow Film Theatre

Saturday 31 July:
The Last Song (PG);
Saturday 7 August:
Aliens in the Attic (PG);
Saturday 21 August:
The Tooth Fairy (PG);
Saturday 28 August:
Shrek Forever After (U).


Glasgow Parkhead Cineworld

No audio descriptions notified; try Yourlocalcinema.


Glasgow Cineworld Renfrew Street

No audio descriptions notified; try Yourlocalcinema.


Glasgow Springfield Quay Odeon

No audio descriptions notified; try Yourlocalcinema.


Hamilton Vue Cinema

Friday 23 - Thursday 5 August:
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (12A).


Eden Court Cinema, Inverness.

Sunday 1 - Thursday 12 August:
Toy Story 3 (U);
Saturday 14 - Thursday 19 August:
The Twillight Saga: Eclipse (12A).


Inverness Vue Cinema

Friday 23 - Thursday 5 August:
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (12A);
Friday 30, Saturday 31 July, Sunday 1, Wednesday 4 August:
Predators (15).


Kilmarnock Odeon

No audio descriptions notified; try Yourlocalcinema.


Livingston Vue Cinema

Friday 23 - Thursday 5 August:
Shrek Forever After 2D (U).


the macrobert filmhouse on Stirling University campus

No audio descriptions notified; try Yourlocalcinema.


Stirling Vue Cinema

Friday 23 - Thursday 5 August:
The Karate Kid (PG).


Can't get to the Cinema? What about an audio-described DVD or video?

AUDIO DESCRIBED FILMS ON DVD AND VIDEO.

DVDs with audio description are available from wherever you get DVDs - Blockbuster, HMV, etc. Below is a list of films we have been made aware of by the R.N.I.B. We have not tested every one, but have been reliably informed that they have audio description. The a.d. track is just another of the eight available audio tracks on DVD. Some of these tracks are commonly used for director / cast commentaries. Pressing the 'audio' button on the DVD remote control selects the available audio tracks.


A full list of over 200 audio described DVDs on this website:

Some DVDs are available in different versions. If you have a REGION FREE DVD player you may be able to play some U.S. (region one) versions of Miami Vice (2006), Inside Man, United 93, Road to Perdition, The Grinch, Terminator 2 and Basic Instinct, and some Australian (region four) versions of Dead Poets Society, Hotel Rwanda, Pulp Fiction, Road to Perdition, Santa Clause 2, Spanglish, Stage Beauty.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Some U.K. DVD versions, such as special releases, or certain 'rental' versions DON'T have the a.d. track, so double check before you purchase or rent!

Audio description is also available on video cassettes. The original soundtrack is replaced with an audio described track. Many libraries stock them. Over seventy video titles are now available including Insomnia, Billy Elliott, Calendar Girls, Chocolat, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Finding Nemo, Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban, Lord of the Rings, Shipping News, The Emperor's New Groove, The Matrix, and many more.

To receive a Home Video Catalogue of all the available titles or to order a video, please contact RNIB Customer Services, or telephone 0845 702 3153 or email cservices@rnib.org.uk.

You can view titles on the RNIB site:


TV listings including SKY TV updated:

I have been greatly helped by Clive Miller of RNIB who produces a day by day listing for all terrestrial channels. The link to his listing, which is much more accessible than mine for the partially sighted, has been revised, as follows: TV Help Audio Description. Clive has now produced new listings of ALL the Audio described programs you can get on a SKY digibox. I strongly recommend a visit to the site.

Freeview: BBC, ITV, FIVE, etc

The details are on the TV listings page.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Don't forget to check whether your area can receive Freeview before spending any money! (mine can't). Go to the Freeview web site.
And if you can't get Freeview directly, you can get it by satellite with a Sky subscription.


Freeview films:
Saturday 31st July: STV (3) 10:15pm Film: Smokin' Aces (Certificate 18);
Saturday 31st July: Channel 4 (4) 11:05pm Film: Star Trek: Generations (Certificate PG);
Saturday 31st July: ITV 2 (6) 6:50pm Film: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Certificate PG);
Saturday 31st July: ITV 2 (6) 9:00pm Film: Troy (Certificate 15);
Saturday 31st July: Channel 4+1 (13) Sunday 12:05am Film: Star Trek: Generations (Certificate PG);
Saturday 31st July: ITV 4 (24) 11:35pm Film: Child's Play (finishes at 1:20am);
Saturday 31st July: ITV2+1 (33) 7:50pm Film: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Certificate PG);
Saturday 31st July: ITV2+1 (33) 10:00pm Film: Troy (Certificate 15);
Saturday 31st July: ITV1 HD (51) 10:15pm Film: Three Kings (Certificate 15);
Saturday 31st July: Channel 4 HD (52) 11:05pm Film: Star Trek: Generations (Certificate PG);
Sunday 1st August: BBC TWO (2) 10:30pm Film: Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel (Certificate 15);
Sunday 1st August: Channel 4 (4) 2:55pm Film: The Core (Certificate 12);
Sunday 1st August: Five (5) 9:30pm Film: Moulin Rouge! (Certificate 12);
Sunday 1st August: ITV 2 (6) 12:05pm Film: Johnny English (finishes at 1:55pm);
Sunday 1st August: ITV 2 (6) 4:30pm Film: Runaway Bride (finishes at 6:50pm);
Sunday 1st August: ITV 2 (6) 6:50pm Film: Catwoman (Certificate 12);
Sunday 1st August: ITV 2 (6) 10:00pm Film: Shaun of the Dead (Certificate 15);
Sunday 1st August: ITV 3 (10) 9:00pm Film: Something's Gotta Give (Certificate 12);
Sunday 1st August: Channel 4+1 (13) 3:55pm Film: The Core (Certificate 12);
Sunday 1st August: ITV 4 (24) 6:40pm Film: Escape to Victory (finishes at 9:00pm);
Sunday 1st August: ITV 4 (24) 9:00pm Film: Sweeney! (finishes at 11:00pm);
Sunday 1st August: ITV 4 (24) 11:00pm Film: The Right Stuff (finishes at 2:40am);
Sunday 1st August: ITV2+1 (33) 1:05pm Film: Johnny English (finishes at 2:55pm);
Sunday 1st August: ITV2+1 (33) 5:30pm Film: Runaway Bride (finishes at 7:50pm);
Sunday 1st August: ITV2+1 (33) 7:50pm Film: Catwoman (Certificate 12);
Sunday 1st August: ITV2+1 (33) 11:00pm Film: Shaun of the Dead (Certificate 15);
Sunday 1st August: Channel 4 HD (52) 2:55pm Film: The Core (Certificate 12).


VIP on Air is now Insight Radio.

It remains accessible on the Internet, at http://www.insightradio-net.com/, but is also available on FM radio at 101 FM.

ABOUT INSIGHT RADIO
Insight Radio is the new name for Europe's first radio station dedicated to the blind and partially sighted community. Programmes are broadcast via this website and for listeners in Glasgow and surrounding areas on 101FM.

Insight Radio provides a bespoke service tailored to the blind and partially sighted listener and we welcome your comments and feedback on our programmes.

If you or someone you know is blind or partially sighted and want to get involved in radio or gain some experience in radio programme making, production, research ... get in touch with the Insight Radio team for more details. Information on how to CONTACT INSIGHT RADIO is available here.


Thanks to all the theatres and galleries who contribute information!