Reimagining stage design through accessibility and inclusive performance
Chunky Move x Melbourne Fringe
3D modelling | stage design
Conceptualised by Fayen d’Evie and Benjamin Hancock for the 2023 Melbourne Fringe Festival’s Radical Access Commission, "…derelict in uncharted space…" paid homage to Project Communicator—a 1974 Star Trek fan initiative that aimed to bring the show to blind audiences through descriptive radio plays. Although the project was endorsed by the Star Trek cast, it was ultimately shut down by Paramount Pictures. This performance revived its spirit of creative accessibility through a live season at Chunky Move and a digitally broadcast radio play.
The show explored innovative ways of navigating physical space beyond traditional accessibility measures. As part of the creative team, I developed a 3D model of the stage, which became an essential planning tool, especially when physical access to the venue was limited.
Inspired by tactile paving, the stage featured raised tactile lines outlining the perimeter of its glyph-shaped space. Inside the stage, thinner tactile markers complemented textured mats and plywood props, enabling the vision-impaired performer to navigate independently with her mobility cane. These textures also provided subtle sensory cues for sighted performers.
In collaboration with Vision Australia, we translated the 3D model into an acrylic tactile diagram, which served as a key resource during the tactile tour and live performances. Blind, low-vision and sighted audience members could explore the stage layout and textures beforehand, deepening their engagement with the performance.
Through this project, I contributed to an inclusive design approach that prioritised accessibility from the earliest stages of production. By integrating inter-sensory elements into stage design, "…derelict in uncharted space…" set a precedent for future performances to embrace accessibility as a creative and integral part of the artistic process.
Collaboration: Fayen d’Evie, Benjamin Hancock, Rebecca Bracewell, Luke D. King, Georgina Kleege, Nelly Kate, Andy Slater, Lloyd Mst, Jon Tjhia, Alex Craig, Anastasia La Fey, Aaron McPeake, Ashley Buchanan, Olivia Walker, Marco Cher-Gibard, Anna Seymour, Jake Bonin, George Thomas and Sheri Wells-Jensen, in association with Antony Hamilton, Kristina Arnott, Vitae Veritas, Bryan Phillips, Madeleine Flynn and Charles Gushue
Reimagining stage design through accessibility and inclusive performance
Chunky Move x Melbourne Fringe
3D modelling | stage design
Conceptualised by Fayen d’Evie and Benjamin Hancock for the 2023 Melbourne Fringe Festival’s Radical Access Commission, "…derelict in uncharted space…" paid homage to Project Communicator—a 1974 Star Trek fan initiative that aimed to bring the show to blind audiences through descriptive radio plays. Although the project was endorsed by the Star Trek cast, it was ultimately shut down by Paramount Pictures. This performance revived its spirit of creative accessibility through a live season at Chunky Move and a digitally broadcast radio play.
The show explored innovative ways of navigating physical space beyond traditional accessibility measures. As part of the creative team, I developed a 3D model of the stage, which became an essential planning tool, especially when physical access to the venue was limited.
Inspired by tactile paving, the stage featured raised tactile lines outlining the perimeter of its glyph-shaped space. Inside the stage, thinner tactile markers complemented textured mats and plywood props, enabling the vision-impaired performer to navigate independently with her mobility cane. These textures also provided subtle sensory cues for sighted performers.
In collaboration with Vision Australia, we translated the 3D model into an acrylic tactile diagram, which served as a key resource during the tactile tour and live performances. Blind, low-vision and sighted audience members could explore the stage layout and textures beforehand, deepening their engagement with the performance.
Through this project, I contributed to an inclusive design approach that prioritised accessibility from the earliest stages of production. By integrating inter-sensory elements into stage design, "…derelict in uncharted space…" set a precedent for future performances to embrace accessibility as a creative and integral part of the artistic process.
Collaboration: Fayen d’Evie, Benjamin Hancock, Rebecca Bracewell, Luke D. King, Georgina Kleege, Nelly Kate, Andy Slater, Lloyd Mst, Jon Tjhia, Alex Craig, Anastasia La Fey, Aaron McPeake, Ashley Buchanan, Olivia Walker, Marco Cher-Gibard, Anna Seymour, Jake Bonin, George Thomas and Sheri Wells-Jensen, in association with Antony Hamilton, Kristina Arnott, Vitae Veritas, Bryan Phillips, Madeleine Flynn and Charles Gushue
Reimagining stage design through accessibility and inclusive performance
Chunky Move x Melbourne Fringe
3D modelling | stage design
Conceptualised by Fayen d’Evie and Benjamin Hancock for the 2023 Melbourne Fringe Festival’s Radical Access Commission, "…derelict in uncharted space…" paid homage to Project Communicator—a 1974 Star Trek fan initiative that aimed to bring the show to blind audiences through descriptive radio plays. Although the project was endorsed by the Star Trek cast, it was ultimately shut down by Paramount Pictures. This performance revived its spirit of creative accessibility through a live season at Chunky Move and a digitally broadcast radio play.
The show explored innovative ways of navigating physical space beyond traditional accessibility measures. As part of the creative team, I developed a 3D model of the stage, which became an essential planning tool, especially when physical access to the venue was limited.
Inspired by tactile paving, the stage featured raised tactile lines outlining the perimeter of its glyph-shaped space. Inside the stage, thinner tactile markers complemented textured mats and plywood props, enabling the vision-impaired performer to navigate independently with her mobility cane. These textures also provided subtle sensory cues for sighted performers.
In collaboration with Vision Australia, we translated the 3D model into an acrylic tactile diagram, which served as a key resource during the tactile tour and live performances. Blind, low-vision and sighted audience members could explore the stage layout and textures beforehand, deepening their engagement with the performance.
Through this project, I contributed to an inclusive design approach that prioritised accessibility from the earliest stages of production. By integrating inter-sensory elements into stage design, "…derelict in uncharted space…" set a precedent for future performances to embrace accessibility as a creative and integral part of the artistic process.
Collaboration: Fayen d’Evie, Benjamin Hancock, Rebecca Bracewell, Luke D. King, Georgina Kleege, Nelly Kate, Andy Slater, Lloyd Mst, Jon Tjhia, Alex Craig, Anastasia La Fey, Aaron McPeake, Ashley Buchanan, Olivia Walker, Marco Cher-Gibard, Anna Seymour, Jake Bonin, George Thomas and Sheri Wells-Jensen, in association with Antony Hamilton, Kristina Arnott, Vitae Veritas, Bryan Phillips, Madeleine Flynn and Charles Gushue
