The Interval, #42

Welcome to The Interval, edition no. 42. Read on for VocalEyes’ weekly listing of accessible arts and culture.

Next two weeks

Legion of Honor Museum, San Francisco, Friendship and Love, Thursday 11 February, 11am Pacific Time, 8pm UK, descriptive art tour, Zoom

Blind Posse present Friendship and Love, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Settle in for a great hour of art—and indulge in Mary See’s if you like! Pre-register here for Friendship and Love.

Sense Adventures Virtual Experiences

Sense Adventures runs a series of Virtual Experiences, tailored for and accessible to visually impaired people, and some of them are also taught by visually impaired people.

Eat Like a Champion, a series of talks and workshops, 11, 18 February and 4 March + three more dates to be confirmed. All sessions 6.30pm. Zoom. £15 per session.

Join visually impaired, Paralympic champion Lora Fachie MBE as she shares some of her tips and advice on how to prepare simple but tasty and nutritious meals. Starting with an introduction to Lora, her life story and sporting success. The following sessions will be cooking demonstrations where you can join in. Each recipe will be simple and easy to prepare, using only one pan. Laura will explain the recipe’s nutrition, along with advice on how to cook confidently and safely when visually impaired.

Creative Writing with Megan Paul, Friday 12 February, 7-9pm. Zoom, £10

Prepare for Valentine’s Day with this workshop on love. From the trite to the unusual, explore everything that goes with love and take time to write about the hardest aspect of it.

Southbank Centre, Unseen: Suzie Lark photography exhibition, audio-described online tour. Available until Sunday 28 February, 20 minutes

Suzie Larke’s photography aims to increase awareness and conversations about the struggles of mental wellbeing.

Watch/Listen Anytime

Young Vic: Taking Part Films 2020

Read about this exciting project here on our website. Watch the three films with audio description: Tapestry, in partnership with Certitude; Even at Our Age, in partnership with Blackfriars Settlement, and Home (Body) in partnership with Thames Reach. There’s a short introduction to each film and the audio description is scripted and voiced by Eleanor Margolies.

BBC iPlayer, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 90 minutes

Watch the audio-described classic Shakespeare play adapted for television by Russell T Davies. Available for two months.

BBC Sounds, Unplayable: Disability and the Gaming Revolution, 28 minutes

Hear the stories of how gaming has become more accessible for disabled gamers

Graeae Theatre, Crips Without Constraints Part 2: Flowers for the Chateau by Rebeka Bowsher, audio described and captioned video, YouTube, 13 minutes

After watching the play, check out the BSL Vodcast where two deaf artists discuss the themes of the play.

US Channel Islands National Park: Treasure in the Sea, audio-described video, YouTube, 24 minutes

Produced by the National Park Service, Harpers Ferry Center, 2010, this video revealing the cultural and natural history of five islands off the coast of California that make up Channel Islands National Park – Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara. With footage of Kelp Forest and the largest seal and sea lion rookeries in the world.

Talking News Federation (TNF): Soundings, The Day the Music Died, audio, 6 minutes

Find out about the last flight of Buddy Holly and fellow musicians on 3^rd February 1959.

Interesting People reading Poetry podcast, Grian Chatten reads The Windhover by Gerard Manley Hopkins, 15 minutes.

Artists read a favourite poem and talk about what it means to them. In the latest episode, songwriter Grian Chatten (Fontaines D.C.) reads The Windhover by Gerard Manley Hopkins.

Royal Albert Hall at Home

Re-live some of the performances from April 2020, such as Alexis French, pianist, composer and producer, or British singer-songwriter and cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson.

BBC Sounds, BBC Radio 2. Musicals: The Greatest Show, 2 hours

Sheridan Smith introduces spectacular new performances from the West End and Broadway

Nation’s Favourite Musical Song

Radio 2 have announced the UK’s favourite musical song in a top 20 list as voted by their listeners. Les Misérables took the top two spots with One Day More and Bring Him Home. The top five also includes songs from Wicked (Defying Gravity), The Greatest Showman (This Is Me) and The Wizard of Oz (Over the Rainbow).

AD on TV

Here are some programmes coming up on TV this week with audio description.

Thursday 4 February

Nigella: At my Table. BBC2 7.30pm

Pooch Perfect. BBC1 8pm

63 Up. ITV 10.45pm

Friday 5 February

Rick Stein’s Secret France. BBC2 ,7pm

Monty Dons American Gardens. BBC2, 8pm

Ramy. Channel 4 11.05pm

Film: Shakespeare in Love. BBC1, 11.35pm

Saturday 6 February

Film Independence Day: Resurgence. Channel 4, 6.45pm.

Film Instant Family. Channel 4, 9pm

Film Horrible Bosses. ITV, 10.50pm

Film The Other Woman. Channel 4, 11.20pm

Sunday 7 February

Film Yentl. BBC2, 2pm

Film Uncle Buck. ITV, 2.40pm

Film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Channel 4, 5pm

The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan. BBC2, 9.45pm

Monday 8 February

Devon and Cornwall. Channel 4, 8pm

Cornwall Fishing Life. BBC2, 9pm

Celebrity Best Home Cook. BBC1, 9pm

Tuesday 9 February

Secret Safari: Into the wild. Channel 4, 8pm

Joanna Lumley Home Sweet Home Travels in my own Land, ITV, 8pm

First Dates: Valentines. Channel 4, 10pm

Wednesday 10 February

Cornwall and Devon walks with Julia Bradbury. ITV, 8pm

Extraordinary Escapes with Sandi Toksvig. Channel 4, 9pm

Lily: A Transgender Story. BBC1, 10.45pm

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