New Accessibility initiatives coming for CB Nuit 2022!
For the 2022 festival, CB Nuit has begun focusing on becoming more accessible in order to share the arts festival with even more people. In some ways, accessibility has always been a part of the festival but now we are re-committing to improving accessibility for even more audiences this year and into the future.
Low-sensory Guided Walk
We are pleased to announce that as part of our accessible programming, we are hosting our first curated guided walkthrough of the festival. This low-sensory walk is designed for anyone who wants to enjoy CB Nuit but might get overwhelmed by the lights, sounds, and crowds on the night of the festival. Although the festival officially opens on West street at 7pm, this walk will depart from Majestic Lawn at 5pm. The walk will be led by our Creative Director, Louise Gauthier, and will include opportunities to interact with some of the art and installations in a more controlled setting.
Participants can expect to visit Nicole Travers and have the chance to touch some of the leather she handmakes out of fish skins, blending traditional Indigenous techniques and contemporary forms. You will also visit both Lex Michael’s My First Gallery and Kim and Mark Grady’s Home Tree. Each of these stops offers audience members the chance to participate in the creation of the work and watch the projects grow. All along the way Louise Gauthier will point out other highlights, in a more comfortable and controlled setting.
Participants can expect the walk to take under an hour, and pre-registration is encouraged due to limited capacity. To register go here: Guided Walk Registration
For more questions about CB Nuit’s accessibility plan, contact: cbnuit@gmail.com
ASL-Interpretation and Deaf/Hard-of-hearing Friendly Projects
CB Nuit will also be using American Sign Language (ASL)-Interpreting services for the first time this year. Jamie Skidmore’s puppet show An Oz-Some Midsummer Night’s Dream, is an all-ages family-friendly puppet show happening on the lawn in front of the United Church performances at (showtimes listed?). The 9PM show will feature and ASL-interpreter.
This puppet show is actually three plays in one! An Oz-Some Midsummer Night’s Dream has the characters from The Wizard of Oz playing the Mechanicals from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Plus, The Scarecrow story is a poetic comedy piece about the life of a scarecrow that ends in an all out battle. And there is a puppet dance performance with a dancing skeleton called Baron Von Guggenhauser. The plays run around 17 minutes in total, are full of laughs, and fun for the whole family. The puppets are all hand-carved by Jamie Skidmore out of wood. This really is a family show too. Skidmore’s 15-year-old daughter, Leila Procter, will present with him, and his partner, Andrea Procter, is the stage manager. It’s a bit like an old-time vaudeville show in many ways.
The ASL-English Interpreter can provide access for Deaf and Hard-of hearing audience members. Although this is the only ASL-interpreted performance at the festival this year, the opening remarks will be interpreted at the Majestic Lawn on West street at 7pm as well. Additionally, much of the festival’s programming can be appreciated by Deaf and Hard-of-hearing festival goers because they are entirely visual and don’t rely on spoken English.Some other works Deaf and Hard-of-hearing audiences may enjoy are Monica Lacey’s video project please accept my offering (at the Hew and Draw Hotel), Emily Critch’s exhibit between the rocks and flowers, i think of you (at Picture it in a Frame shop), and The Fire Kedgy’s dance performance created by Candice Pike and Hilary Knee (it starts at the Corner Brook sign across from the Majestic Lawn at 7:30 and 10:00PM).
For more questions about CB Nuit’s accessibility plan, contact: cbnuit@gmail.com
Other Accessibility Plans
These two initiatives are part of a broader commitment to accessibility for this year and the future of the festival. We have been working with a volunteer to improve accessibility in many domains and our Board of Directors and staff have been hard at work thinking of ways to improve accessibility in the future.
For example, we are also undergoing a series of accessibility reviews for the venues we use so that we can provide more accurate information to audience members and artists who may have specific needs along West street. We are also focusing on improving the accessibility of our website and social media accounts and trying to reach out to new audiences who may be unsure if the festival is designed with them in mind.
We want everyone to be able to enjoy the art and experience of CB Nuit. Accessibility can be a big project, but our Board of Directors is committed to trying to make every year more accessible than the previous.
If you want to get in touch to discuss accessibility plans for CB Nuit, contact: cbnuit@gmail.com