Take part in accessibility testing in Manchester

News/June 2023

We’re looking for people to help test the accessibility of our latest work, We Cut Through Dust.

We’re specifically testing the accessibility of the experience for wheelchair users and those with vision or hearing loss. Please get in touch if you would like to test the work and if you are:

Deaf/hard of hearing
Blind/partially sighted

About the work

We Cut Through Dust is a walk into the future, guided by a series of phone calls. Over the course of an hour, you’ll be taken on a journey through the city.

Set in a world not too far from now, you arrive at a location where your phone triggers a giant mechanical sign to open… and so your story begins.

At a time when everyone has experienced their own kind of science fiction, We Cut Through Dust hovers somewhere between the real and the fantastical, where something is not quite right. In fact, it might not be how you imagined things were going to be at all.

We Cut Through Dust is a collaboration between Blast Theory and Manchester Street Poem, a co-produced art collective whose works reflect the personal experiences of Manchester’s marginalised communities. No strangers to the Festival, Manchester Street Poem first featured in MIF17 and have worked closely alongside MIF ever since, making space for the stories of those who find themselves homeless in the city.

What is involved?

An outdoor test in Manchester with someone who is blind/partially sighted, Thursday 22 June, 2 – 4pm
An outdoor test in Manchester with someone who is dead/hard of hearing, Wednesday 28 June, 2 – 4pm

The test will involve experiencing We Cut Through Dust, followed by a feedback session with the Blast Theory team.

Testing will take place outside in Deansgate, Manchester. You can choose to take part on foot or another form of personal transport – e.g. a wheelchair or mobility scooter. We will provide you with a smartphone to take part in the experience.

The feedback session will involve completing a questionnaire and answering questions in a one-to-one interview with a member of the Blast Theory team. Questionnaires will be available in large print.

Fee

We can offer a £60 fee for taking part in the test. If travel expenses pose a barrier or your PA needs to attend the test with you, please contact Sarah Julia Clark at [email protected]. Please note that there are a limited number of places for testing.