Programme: Cultural education (2018-2019)
Managing authority: National Centre of Culture
Grant amount: 30 000PLN (2018), 30 000PLN (2019)
Specific grant of West Pomeranian Voivodeship Marshal's Office: 11 290 PLN (2018), 18 500 PLN (2019)
The workshops "Feel the Opera" for the visually impaired and hard of hearing were realised in the Opera at the Castle in 2018/2019
The goal of the workshop was artistic education of the group which had been excluded from appreciating the opera.
The first part of the workshops, lasting from October to December 2018, was getting the visually impaired and hard of hearing acquainted with the opera theatre and each aspect of its activities. Each workshop contained a theoretical and a practical part. As guests there took part the artists cooperating with the Opera at the Castle New approach to the Polish ballet classics – preparing the premiere of ballets of Stanisław Moniuszko and Roman Palester musicians, scenographers, costume designers, conductors, who were talking about their work.
The workshops from January to March 2019 were based on cooperation between the two groups. Participants visited the opera and together they prepared, e.g. programmes for shows.
The final of the workshops "Feel the Opera" was the participation of the visually impaired and hard of hearing groups in the opera show ("Cosi fan tutte" of W.A. Mozart in March 2019), during which thanks to an induction loop the hard of hearing could watch the show with the sound digitally amplified in headphones and the visually impaired could hear audio description of the show prepared for this occasion and read live by a professional reader. The results of half a year of work of both groups were presented in an exhibition and in a catalogue.
The partners of the project were Specjalny Ośrodek Szkolno-Wychowawczy dla Dzieci Słabosłyszących im. J. Tuwima (Special School and Childcare Centre for hard of hearing children) in Szczecin and the initiative OKO NA UCHO (AN EYE TO AN EAR), which aims at popularisation of audio description in cultural centres.
