The Unseen Impact: Describing Onstage Violence with Clarity, Care, and Consent
Hosted by Amy Amantea
Violence on stage—whether physical or sexual—presents some of the most complex challenges for audio describers. Seasoned audio describer, captioner, and consultant Roz Chalmers will guide us through the ethical, emotional, and practical dimensions of describing violent content with accuracy, sensitivity, and respect for the audience and the actors. We will examine the fine line between informative and triggering language, consider the role of tone, and discuss how to collaborate with creative teams to ensure descriptions align with artistic intent while prioritizing the needs of blind and low vision audiences.
There will be hands-on exercises and guided discussion to uncover strategies for navigating this essential part of inclusive storytelling. Short video clips will be used for the purpose of raising discussion points and will not contain extended scenes of extreme violence, rape or torture, although please note that this kind of content and the use of sexual language will be discussed.
Please bring your own experience of describing or listening to this kind of content so we can learn from each other.
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Guest Bio
Roz Chalmers has been an audio describer and captioner at the National Theatre since 2000 and shortly after began to work for VocalEyes and Stagetext, organisations funded by Arts Council England to increase access and inclusion to UK arts and heritage. Roz also works independently at the Old Vic Theatre and other venues.
Roz has dedicated her working life to providing access to the arts (at theatres, museums, heritage sites, circuses and festivals, etc.) as as an audio describer for blind and visually impaired people, and a lip-speaker and captioner for D/deaf, deafened and hard of hearing people. She has spearheaded the delivery of inclusive practices and is recognised as one of the UK’s most dedicated arts access ambassadors, who works unstintingly to further the cause of accessibility and inclusion within the arts. She has enhanced the lives of hundreds of thousands of people through her career.
In 2003, Roz Chalmers was awarded an MBE (member of the Order of the British Empire) in King Charles III’s Birthday Honours list, in recognition for services to the arts and to people with sensory impairments.
