Blind and partially sighted actors create audio drama without visual cues

A group of blind and partially sighted people are participating in an audio-based drama workshop in the United Kingdom to create stories using only sound.

The workshop is part of a two-year project by Sightless Cinema, an organisation that produces cinema without pictures. Participants use various materials, such as gravel, leaves, and a miniature door called a foley door, to create sound effects and build settings.

The group is currently writing a play about a wedding day involving a jilted bride and a chaotic household. Participants say the project helps them overcome barriers in the performing arts, which are often dominated by visual elements. Some actors, such as Helen Kennedy, noted that mainstream drama clubs often exclude them due to safety concerns regarding their sight loss.

The workshop allows them to explore performance through sound, focusing on what their disability enables them to do rather than the limitations it imposes. The project involves collaboration with Queen's University and the Royal National Institute of Blind People. It will culminate in a performance in 2028 at the SARC Sonic Lab at Queen's University Belfast. During this final event, audience members will be blindfolded to experience the play as the actors intend it to be heard.