Sensory Friendly Event Guide
Our festival is growing more and more each year. This year marks the launch of new accessibility initiatives, a dream we’ve had since the festival's beginning. We are evolving, exploring solutions to establish a welcoming and sensory-friendly festival for all to enjoy. Together, we aim to create a festival that is continuously improving its accessibility. Please be patient with us as we embark on this journey! Check out the new additions for this year:
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Experience Statements
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Sensory-friendly map
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Dedicated sensory-friendly area
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Immersive and Sensory- friendly website features
Additionally, we have offered training for our team on how to assist attendees with various needs, fostering a culture of understanding and support.
What are Sensory Experience Statements ?
The goal of a Sensory Experience Statement is to let people know what to expect about the general
sensory experience at the festival. These statements are focused on all the 8 sensories:
Sight
Hearing
Taste
Touch
Smell
Movement
Balance
Interoception
01
Sight
Festival goers will experience a wide variety of visual art projects that have bright lights, colorful decorations, and dynamic digital projections and experiences. Earlier in the evening, the street will be flooded with natural lighting, while some projects will be located inside venues that have dark lighting to enhance visual effects. Spiraling and flickering lights will be used periodically for some outdoor projects which will create a stimulating environment as the daytime lighting fleets. Our sensory map will highlight visual sensory areas/projects that visitors can refer to pre-festival and during. Our low-sensory room highlighted on our brochure will have minimal clutter, and a quiet low-light atmosphere for those who prefer a calmer visual environment. We recommend festival goers with light sensitivities to bring sunglasses to help diminishing lighting while experiencing our festival.
02
Hearing
Visitors can expect a lively auditory atmosphere in certain locations on the street, with some quiet locations in between acts and performances. Announcements will be made via loudspeakers during our opening festival remarks, and there will be live music performances in designated areas along the street, as well as performance acts with microphones and sound systems. To accommodate differences in preferences, we have highlighted locations on our sensory map that are predominately quieter locations. General noise levels may be higher during peak times due to the number of people on the street, and noise will be heard as background noise due to the small area of the festival. Our designated quiet zone located on our map will have noise levels kept to a minimum for those who wish to take breaks and enjoy a quieter location. There will be ear plugs available in designated locations on the street for those who wish to use them for a quieter experience for music and loud performances. Our festival opening remarks will have sign-language interpretation for those with hearing impairments.
03
Taste
Our event offers local food trucks and vendors in our food court area highlighted on our map providing a diverse culinary experience. Our festival regards sustainability as one of our highest priorities, therefore we do not provide plastic water bottles. We encourage guests to bring refillable water bottles that can be refilled at water stations located on our map. Guests are also welcome to bring their own snacks and drinks if they prefer.
04
Touch
Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with various interactive exhibits that invite touch. Because our event is mostly located outdoors, we cannot provide a temperature controlled area. We recommend our guests to be prepared for rain, wind, cold and warm temperatures.
05
Smell
Food vendors may produce enticing aromas, particularly near our food court area. We maintain a no-scent policy in designated areas to accommodate individuals with sensitivities, clearly marked on the event map.
06
Movement
Our festival happens along the entire West Street in Corner Brook. The street will be closed to traffic during our festival allowing attendees to move around freely for both walking and rolling. Not all of our event spaces are accessible by wheelchair, but our rolling friendly locations are clearly highlighted on our map. Our designated seating areas are highlighted on our map to allow for rest breaks.
07
Balance
Visitors will navigate through multiple levels using stairs, ramps, and elevators in various areas on West Street. However, the street itself is flat without major changes in terrain. Some of our projects will include visually stimulating effects, such as VR experiences which may disrupt balance. To accommodate, we will have limited weighted lap pillows availity to enhance stability upon request.
08
Interoception
This newly recognized sense serves as your internal body compass, signaling hunger, thirst, and bathroom needs. Some struggle to interpret these signals, affecting both body and emotions.
Multiple restroom facilities are available, including accessible gender-neutral restrooms and family-friendly options with changing tables. There is a dedicated quiet room available throughout the event for low-energy experiences, as well as high-energy activities at specific times and locations.
