Audio Description Practice & Principles

I audio describe dance and live performance in all of its forms.

As a dancer, maker and writer with an academic background in lingustics + translation, audio description feels like home. It is astonishing to me that audio description creation in dance is dominated by those who don’t dance; an embodied empathy with dancing bodies feels crucial to find the right language for movement. 

Audio description reminds me of the imperative to keep re-centering non-visual experiences, not just in my services as a describer, but also in the way I engage with and conceive of dance. In finding ways to embed audio description into choreographic work, the complexity of ‘access’ stays alive for me; it can be easy to renew existing hierarchies even within our intentions to broaden participation. More of my thoughts on audio description are here. 

Working Closely

I am most interested in working with artists, choreographers and directors that are personally interested in access and audio description.

I believe that access and audio description belongs strongly within the creative making process, as it opens up our performance work to more people, ultimately broadening our audiences, appeal and appreciation for dance. I advocate for creative teams to engage deeply with my process as this not only brings integrity to the audio description, but embeds access into our making processes more organically for future works.

Occasionally, I have the privilege of combining my roles as a performer and audio describer, which enriches both parts of this work.

Rethinking Traditional Modes

I create bespoke access provisions that are unique to each piece of work, with a thorough investigation of the value of each provision for visually impaired audiences, the creative team and the venue. This means that I spend time creating new formats and modes to best suit the tone of the work. For example -

  • In collaboration with assistant curator Kit Edwards, I designed and delivered an online Audio Description Tour, that walked audience members through the Rebecca Bellantoni’s installation at Brent Biennale 2022 and facilitated a discussion on its motifs and themes.

  • In collaboration with choreographer Jo Fong, I trained a team of 4 performers to deliver an unscripted AD for a durational and improvised performance at Neurolive 2022. The AD was created live in reference to a ‘score’ that I prepared over the rehearsal process. 

  • In collaboration with audio describer Elaine Lillian Joseph, I designed and delivered a 360-degree AD that roamed around the immersive set and studio of Eve Stainton’s Impact Driver in 2023 and 2024.

  • In collaboration with choreographer Charlotte Spencer, I trained and mentored 5 exhibiting artists to integrate audio description into their participatory artworks in 2025 so that they could independently and seamlessly host visually impaired guests.

The Work

I offer the following :

• audio description + touch tours for live shows 

• audio description for screendance / dance film

• pre-recorded audio introductions for accessible shows / installations 

• access consultancy for creative processes

• choreographic workshops on audio description

• introductory workshops to demystify audio description for dance 

Budgets and Fees

My rate is a sliding scale of £220 - £350 per day, depending on the kind of work that you are requesting. This includes the gathering of assets, rehearsal visits, calls with creative team, audio introduction writing, touch-tour delivery, professional recording and mixing of pre-recorded files, consultation with blind / visually impaired consultants, script-writing and live deliveries. The timeline for each project will vary, and if your budget is limited, there are sometimes creative solutions. Feel free to get in touch to discuss this!

Past Works