Flipping the script on the audience experience, immersive dance performance Half Light, is on its autumn tour before visiting Arnolfini later this month. Florence Grieve caught up with artistic director and performer Holly Thomas to learn what it means to make dance accessible to blind and visually-impaired audiences, and what we can expect from the production. All photos by Vonalina Cake
Even in the meeting room where we are conducting our interview, Holly Thomas’ hands are moving expressively to the melody of our conversation. A dancer, choreographer and performer of 25 years, it is clear that this affinity for movement is integral to who Holly is as a person. Her most recent project, Half Light, is testament to her passion for dance, her lived experience and dedication to accessibility.
Half Light draws upon Holly’s lived experience of visual impairment and the journey of parenting a child with additional needs; it is part-biographical and part-imagined. The performance invites audiences to “unmask a multi-generational story about the courage it takes to send your child into a world that may not always understand.”
Alongside co-director Katy Noakes and a cast of talented performers, the Bristol-based team spent time developing the production and designing it with Blind and visually-impaired audiences in mind. As one audience member expressed, Half Light is, “poetic, intriguing, unique and beautiful.” Holly and I start our conversation by discussing where the idea for this boundary-redefining dance piece came from.
A feast for all the senses
Half Light, at its core, is about bringing dance to new audiences, and igniting a passion for movement in those who may not have had the opportunity to experience dance in this way before. Despite this, or perhaps because of this, it was at a time where movement was restricted on a global scale, that the seed for Half Light was planted. Holly tells me how lockdown encouraged her to more actively tune into the world around her. Many of us will relate to how the slower pace of life allowed creativity to flourish, our sourdoughs to rise and new hobbies to take shape. For Holly, it was an opportunity to pause and reflect; she would sit in her garden or by the river, often at twilight, and listen to the sounds around her.
It was this time of day, when dark gives way to light, or vice versa, that captured Holly’s imagination. As a visually-impaired person, twilight, a changing sensory landscape where there is movement between light and dark, was the source of inspiration. It led to the creation of a dance piece that draws on Holly’s lived experience – but also puts audience experience at the heart of the show’s development. It is often said that twilight is a bridge between day and night, and it is this sense of intentionally curating a space for blind, visually-impaired and sighted audiences alike, that makes Half Light unique.
The production is presented in soft lighting, both an artistic choice and an accessibility consideration for audience members with light sensitivity. The seating is also arranged with the audience experience in mind, shaped in an ellipse; the performers move within and outside of this elongated circle, immersing the audience in the narrative.
Dance is notoriously difficult to describe… you’re describing an activity that is probably quite alien to many viewers, with or without sight
Welcoming audiences
Traditionally, access to dance, whether as a performer or an audience member, puts heavy emphasis on sight. Audiences are expected to watch dance performances at a distance from the stage, and dancers are expected to observe and copy the dance teacher. But this reliance, and assumption, of sight as the default sense with which to engage with dance, excludes more than two million people living with sight loss in the UK.
Audio Description, where a practitioner describes what can be seen on stage live, often via a headset, can be offered for performances and shows, and the availability of this vital access provision is on the up. According to the 2023 report State of Theatre Access (from access organisations VocalEyes, Stagetext and the Centre for Accessible Environments), 84% of the 465 surveyed theatres offered performances with Audio Description.
Also, the number of theatres providing Audio Description had increased by 57% from 2019. This is not to say progress has been linear – while the number of theatres offering Audio Description increased, the number of performances offering it decreased. Furthermore, barriers persist, such as the number of Audio Description headsets available and the availability of information and listings for audio described performances.
However, when it comes to dance, additional challenges exist. As Bridget Crowley, retired audio describer for national charity VocalEyes, writes, “Dance is notoriously difficult to describe… you’re describing an activity that is probably quite alien to many viewers, with or without sight.” She goes on to explain how it can be executed well, citing examples of theatres and dance companies leading the way. It is worrying however to read how progress in this area is slowing, not due to the skill of audio describers, but the lack of investment from venues and theatres. She concludes: “Dance is back to being treated as the Cinderella of Audio-Description and it’s not fair for our audience.”
Shedding light on the issue
It is no surprise then when Holly tells me how the inaccessibility of traditional dance spaces led to her engaging with them less and less. She charts the highs and lows of accessibility, and inaccessibility, throughout her career, and the positive experience of attending dance classes that prioritise accessibility for blind and visually-impaired dancers.
As well as working as a performer and choreographer, Holly is an educator and facilitator, teaching others about the importance, and practicalities, of inclusive dance. It is clear that this experience has culminated in the creation of a show that dares to push the boundaries of what true accessibility means. As one visually-impaired audience member fed back at a preview show, “I believe you are doing something truly unique here with Audio Description and dance, helping us, the audience, re-conceptualise dance as something that is heard and felt, rather than viewed from a distance.”
As well as achieving this through the use of sound-design, soft lighting and a seating arrangement that immerses the audience, what is distinctive about Half Light is that the Audio Description is integrated, and therefore part of the performance.
Another way that Half Light puts accessibility at the heart of its performance is by offering touch tours at all venues. A touch tour is where blind and visually-impaired audiences are given the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the stage, set and costumes before a performance starts.
The focus of Half Light’s touch tours is to allow audiences to experience moments of choreography from the show, meet the cast, handle the costumes and have them audio described, and to choose a seat that suits their access needs best.
While this provision is offered elsewhere, the 2023 report mentioned above found that only 5% of the surveyed theatres had touch tours advertised on their website.
It’s clear from our conversation that the production’s promise to audiences has been thoughtfully and skilfully achieved. With Half Light, this autumn really is the perfect time to “immerse yourself in a world where sight is not assumed.”
Half Light visits Bournemouth and London on its Autumn tour before stopping at Arnolfini on 14 November 2025. For tickets and more information visit arnolfini.org.uk
Discover more fab cultural interviews here
