RNIB Connect

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey is joined again by Vidar Hjardeng MBE, Inclusion and Diversity Consultant for ITV News across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands for the next in his regular Connect Radio theatre reviews.

This week Vidar is reviewing a new production of Sheridan’s ‘The School for Scandal’ Directed by Tinuke Craig at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon with description by Professional Audio Describers Julia Grundy and Ellie Packer.

About The School for Scandal bY Richard Brinkley Sheridan:

Brilliant biting comedy styled to the nines with period flair and promising an exuberant feast of big wigs and even bigger laughs. ‘There’s no possibility of being witty without a little ill nature.’ 1770s London, where the aristocracy’s morals have plunged lower than the necklines on the women’s gowns. The vicious Lady Sneerwell enjoys ruining reputations for pleasure, and her latest target is the young bachelor Charles Surface  — why should this pretentious little rake inherit his uncle’s fortune? Together with Charles’ conniving brother Joseph, Sneerwell orchestrates an elaborate scheme of intrigue and infidelity that’s sure to ruffle all the right feathers — hopefully.

After Shakespeare but long before Bridgerton, there was The School for Scandal, Sheridan’s brilliantly biting comedy of manners in five acts. This new production — styled to the nines with period flair — promises an exuberant feast of big wigs and even bigger laughs.

Tinuke Craig, Artistic Associate at the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith, directs. Recent work includes Jitney (The Old Vic for Headlong), The Colour Purple (Leicester Curve) and Crave (Chichester).

For more about audio described performances and access generally at the Royal Shakespeare Company do visit the following pages of their website -

https://www.rsc.org.uk/your-visit/access

(Image shows RNIB logo. 'RNIB' written in black capital letters over a white background and underlined with a bold pink line, with the words 'See differently' underneath)

Tyntesfield House is an ornate Victorian gothic revival house with extensive gardens and parkland just outside Bristol which has been part of the National Trust’s portfolio since 2002.

Following on from help from the RNIB National Trust Volunteers and staff at Tyntesfield House are now able to offer sensory walks of the estates extensive gardens and parkland for blind and partially sighted people.

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey recently visited Tyntesfield House to experience one of their sensory walks, a tour of the house which included a visit to the kitchen and the beautiful chapel.  

The feature begins with Toby chatting with Simon Lawrence OBE, General Manager, Bristol Portfolio, National Trust who is responsible for the running of Tyntesfield House, then off on a tour of the house with Katie Jeffries visiting the kitchen and chapel with the feature ending with the sensory walk lead by National Trust Volunteer Nick Deering.

To find out more about Tyntesfield House, The National Trust and the sensory walks do visit the following pages of The National Trust website - https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/bath-bristol/tyntesfield

For more about access at the National Trust do email [email protected] or visit the following Access for Everyone pages of the National Trust website - https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/about-us/access-for-everyone

Image shows Toby with his retired guide dog Willow stood on the asphalt outside Tyntesfield house with the chapel in the background

The UK General Election not only saw a change of government, it also saw a huge change in MPs from right across the UK. 

RNIB Connect Radio’s Allan Russell spoke to Steve Darling MP about his new role in the Commons, his career in politics and if his Guide Dog, Jennie, is settling in. 

#RNIBConnect 

Image Shows Steve Darling MP and Guide Dog Jennie in London standing by Themes River. It's a sunny day with blue skies and the London Eye behind them, on the other side of Themes. 

VI Stand-up Comedian Jake Donaldson is taking his show to the Edinburgh Fringe.

 

His show 'Spectacle' uses comedy, theatre and lighting to make audiences laugh and dispel sight loss myths in a truly spectac-ular way.

He talked to Amelia about his career so far and shared tips for fringe goers.

Spectacle is at Just the Tonic - The Mash House (Venue 288) at 6.40pm from 1-11 and 13-25 August 2024.

Learn more about Jake on Twitter, Instagram and Tiktok @DonaldsonComedy

Image shows Jake, a white man with short brown hair and a moustache and beard, standing against a dark background. He's wearing a suit with a black blazer and grey tie, and holding pink Dame Edna glasses up next to him. 

The National Galleries of Scotland host free art sessions on the third Wednesday of every month as part of their Visually Impaired Programme.

 

This month at the ‘Modern One’ they hosted AD Tour and Workshop of the Tracing time exhibition by contemporary artist Do Ho Suh.

Art-lover, Reader and Whistler Cleodie told Amelia about attending the VI Programme for 20 years and the VI community in Edinburgh.

Learn more about the National Galleries of Scotland visually impaired programme on their website www.nationalgalleries.org/learn/visual-impairment

The next event in the Visually Impaired Programme is Online and Before and After Coal: Images and Voices from Scotland’s Mining Communities

Hosted online via Zoom on Wednesday 21 August from 2-3.30pm.

 

Image shows RNIB Connect Radio logo. 'RNIB' written in black capital letters over a white background and underlined with a bold pink line, with the words 'Connect Radio' underneath.

The National Galleries of Scotland host free art sessions on the third Wednesday of every month as part of their Visually Impaired Programme.

 

This month at the ‘Modern One’ they hosted AD Tour and Workshop of the Tracing time exhibition by contemporary artist Do Ho Suh.

Artist, Poet, Campaigner and Storyteller Anne Dignan told Amelia about her work and experiences of Dual Sensory Loss.

Learn more about Anne’s fringe performance on the Scottish Storytelling Website www.scottishstorytellingcentre.com

 

Learn more about the National Galleries of Scotland visually impaired programme on their website www.nationalgalleries.org/learn/visual-impairment

The next event in the Visually Impaired Programme is Online and Before and After Coal: Images and Voices from Scotland’s Mining Communities

Hosted online via Zoom on Wednesday 21 August from 2-3.30pm 

Image shows RNIB Connect Radio logo. 'RNIB' written in black capital letters over a white background and underlined with a bold pink line, with the words 'Connect Radio' underneath.

There’s rare chance to go behind the scenes at one of the oldest theatres in Wales this summer, as Hywel Davies has been finding out.

You can book tickets and find more information about the tour here - Book Theatre Tour tickets | New Theatre Cardiff (trafalgartickets.com)

The first blind Barbie was just released by Mattel and created in partnership with American Foundation for the Blind to allow even more children to find a doll that represents them.

For its UK release, the company partnered up with RTS 2024 award winning presenter, content creator and author, Lucy Edwards.

Hubert Pawelkiewicz spoke with Lucy to find out what it feels like to be an ambassador for the Blind Barbie.

Image: Lucy holds up Blind Barbie, to show her in all of her pink and purple glory. Lucy has shiny long ginger hair which cascades in waves over her shoulders and is waring a peachy-pink dress with short flowy sleeves. Blind Barbie has shiny long brown hair, thick glasses perched on top of her head and is holding a white cane. She's wearing a pink fitted top and a frilly purple mini skirt with light purple high heels. 

Our David Hogg speaks to Retina UK’s Yvette Chivers about her employment journey and how an RNIB ‘See Work Differently’ internship kicked off a new chapter in her career… 

Alice Findlay, RNIB Customer Voice Insight Co-ordinator shares the latest opportunities for blind and partially sighted people to get involved in with RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey.

Opportunities highlighted this week included:

A few weeks ago we all went to the polls and every time we have an election we ask you to tell us about your voter experience, good or bad. The information you provide will be used to track what it is like for blind or partially sighted voters to cast their ballots.  Your experiences form the basis for our “Turned Out” reports, which we share with the UK Government and the Electoral Commission to keep the pressure up for improvements in the accessibility of voting.  

This evidence is hugely important if we are to bring about change. Our past reports have contributed to improved Electoral Commission guidance and an increase in the provision of audio solutions in some polling stations but there’s a long way to go if all blind and partially sighted voters are to feel confident voting independently and in secret, whether in the polling station or by postal vote.

If you’d like to share your experience with us, you can complete our short survey. The survey will ask about your experience of voting (or why you didn’t vote) in the 2024 UK General Election.

If you’d like to complete the survey, please send an email to [email protected] and you will be sent the link to the survey. 

Researchers at UCFB, Bournemouth University and Ulster University are exploring visually impaired peoples’ experiences of watching live professional football in the UK. The study will investigate a wide range of topics including match-day routine, accessibility, sensory experience and fandom. 

The researchers will be carrying out online semi-structured interviews in which you will be invited to share your experiences. 

For more information and to take part, please email Dr Connor Penfold via [email protected]

Have you ever experienced problems whilst travelling by air with a guide or assistance dog? The European Guide Dog Association and Assistance Dogs International are gathering evidence of the problems experienced by guide and assistance dog users when travelling by air. These examples will be collated and forwarded to the European Civil Aviation Conference to inform them and influence their guidelines.

If you have an experience you’d be willing to share you can fill out a very quick survey and help make air travel better for everyone with a guide or assistance dog. 

If you would like to complete the survey, please send an email to [email protected] and we’ll send you the link to the survey. 

To find out more about these and other Connect Voices opportunities along with how you can get involved with RNIB Connect Voices do visit - https://www.rnib.org.uk/connect-community/connect-voices-network/connect-voices-current-opportunities

(Image shows RNIB logo. 'RNIB' written in black capital letters over a white background and underlined with a bold pink line, with the words 'See differently' underneath)