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Accessibility
for live events

We combine technology and sensitivity to break down every barrier. We want everyone to enjoy a full and engaging cultural experience.

Culture is participation.
For an inclusive theatre,
accessible for all.

We believe an inclusive society must recognise the many unique identities it is made of. It must value them and do all it can to bring out their worth. Technology should support this. It does so through careful communication and tools made for those who produce and share culture. These are theatres, cinemas, museums and all cultural institutions.

Technology is a way to make content more immediate. Content must always be of the highest quality and be communicated in the right way. For us, this formula holds true:
TECHNOLOGY + CONTENT + COMMUNICATION = ACCESSIBILITY.
LYRI works on this every day with partners who are experts in cultural accessibility. We want everyone to understand and enjoy our performances and events, without barriers.

How do you make a theatre performance accessible?

A real path to inclusion works on two fronts. The first is ON stage accessibility. These are the tools used in the auditorium. They include multilingual and simplified surtitles with sound description, audio introduction and audio description. They remove every barrier during the performance. The second is OFF stage accessibility. It means taking care of everything that comes before the event. This runs from easy-to-read programme notes to clear, inclusive web communication.

Accessible for whom?

Every day we work to make accessibility real for all. For us, there are no more shows “for categories”. There are technology solutions that value the differences in the audience. With integrated tools, we meet every visual, hearing or language need in the community. We want a cultural offer that everyone can enjoy freely and fully.

The roadmap to accessibility

The path to full accessibility is built in small steps. That’s why we guide you through every stage. This runs from choosing performances to making content. We produce the subtitles, translations and audio descriptions ourselves. We bring a culture of inclusion to every area of your theatre. This covers communication and welcoming people in the auditorium. It is much more than a “turnkey” service. We offer professional, ongoing support.

LYRI for accessibility

Theatregoer following the show with smart glasses that display the subtitles

SUBTITLES in several languages and in simple form, with sound description. They run in the app on smartphones, tablets and smart glasses.

Smartphone and tablet
Subtitles in app
Smart glasses
Subtitles on smart glasses
Multilingual
Multilingual
Audio description with an earpiece

AUDIO INTRODUCTION and AUDIO DESCRIPTION in several languages. They run in the app on smartphone and tablet, with an earpiece.

Earpiece
Audio description
Multilingual
Multilingual
Opera performance with surtitles projected above the stage, visible to the audience in the auditorium

SURTITLES in several languages on projectors, LED walls and monitors.

LED wall Monitor Video projector
Projectors, LED walls, monitors
Multilingual
Multilingual

Strategies for an accessible theatre

Audience Development: growing the audience by welcoming new groups of spectators. We build lasting bonds and a strong sense of belonging to the theatre community.

Audience Engagement: helping the audience get more from the show. Tech tools help people follow the show and stay focused.

Audience Empowerment: giving the audience all it needs to grasp the show in full. The spectator becomes an active, aware interpreter.

We have made accessible:

Portrait of a woman with round glasses and a dark bob, leaning on a desk, from “L’Analfabeta”
Romaeuropa Festival (Teatro Vascello di Roma), Piccolo Teatro di Milano (Studio Melato) and AMAT (Teatro Concordia di San Benedetto del Tronto)

L’Analfabeta (2026)

English subtitles and accessible Italian subtitles with sound description, in the LYRI app. Italian and English audio introduction played in the auditorium. Italian audio description in the LYRI app. The service was automatic, with no human operator. We gave it at every performance at Romaeuropa Festival, Piccolo Teatro di Milano and AMAT (accessible-for-all production).
SERVICES OFFERED
Subtitles
English subtitles in app
Smartphone and tablet
Accessible Italian subtitles with sound description in app
Earpiece
Audio introduction and audio description in app
Scene from Fanny & Alexander’s “L’Analfabeta”: panels with blue projections on the stage

L’Analfabeta by Fanny & Alexander and Federica Fracassi was a fully accessible production. It was also fully automated, with no human operator. It had English subtitles and accessible Italian subtitles with sound description in the app. It also had audio introduction and audio description. It is a rare and unique project. It brought together every accessibility service LYRI offers. We built them in from the production stage, not just for single performances. The show is based on heterodirection. This structure let us match the accessible content very precisely to the live action. So we could automate all the management. As a result, all ten performances at the Piccolo Teatro di Milano were accessible.
A pioneering project. It points to the future of accessibility in live performance.

TSV - Teatro Stabile del Veneto - Teatro Nazionale
Teatro Stabile del Veneto - Teatro Nazionale (Padova, Treviso, Venezia), Centro Servizi Culturali San Chiara (Trento), Teatro del Giglio (Lucca)

Il gabbiano (directed by Filippo Dini)

English surtitles. On the LYRI app, accessible Italian subtitles with sound description, and English subtitles. Italian audio introduction played in the auditorium. Italian audio description in the LYRI app. We gave the service at every date of the tour. This was in Padua, Treviso, Venice and the theatres of Trento and Lucca.
SERVICES OFFERED
Surtitles
English surtitles
Subtitles
Accessible Italian subtitles with sound description in app
Smartphone and tablet
LYRI app
Smart glasses
Subtitles on smart glasses
Earpiece
Audio introduction and audio description
Two actors kneeling on stage, with a deckchair and a small table behind them, in “Il gabbiano” directed by Filippo Dini

Teatro Stabile del Veneto “Carlo Goldoni” (TSV) is a major Italian theatre institution. It was founded in 1992. It is recognised as a National Theatre. It runs the seasons of the Teatro Goldoni in Venice and the Teatro Verdi in Padua. It promotes the making and sharing of theatre culture. It pays special attention to classical drama and to Carlo Goldoni.
TSV promotes access for all. It wants to remove physical, sensory and cognitive barriers. It offers shows with audio description and subtitles in the LYRI app, and on smart glasses too. This makes the experience open to everyone.
“Il gabbiano” (The Seagull) was directed by Filippo Dini. With this production, the accessible-for-all model also reached one performance in Trento and one in Lucca.

Accessibility FAQ

Browse the list below. It has the most common questions, with answers, about our accessibility services for theatres and events.

What exactly does accessibility for all mean?

It means services, content and technology that open a performance to as wide an audience as possible. Surtitles, subtitles and audio description work together. They meet different needs that complete each other. The aim is to leave no one out.

Are surtitles enough to make a performance or event accessible?

Not fully. Surtitles work only if spectators read well and know the language of the text. To include the whole audience, you need other services too. Examples are subtitles in several languages, audio introduction and audio description.

Do you also provide devices to make performances more accessible?

Yes, we provide smart glasses for people who want to read subtitles without looking away from the stage. For all other services, we use a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) approach. The audience uses their own smartphone or tablet and their own earpiece. This means no devices need to be installed at every seat, and the service is more flexible and easier to scale.

Besides the services, do you also give advice on making theatres and events accessible? I wouldn’t know where to start.

Yes. We support clients throughout the whole process. We help them understand accessibility solutions and put them into practice. It’s a subject that needs care and awareness. With the right support, it gets easier step by step.

Accessibility Multilingual

Want to make your theatre more accessible?

Find out how our services can make your organisation more inclusive. We’ll show you how the LYRI software fits into your productions, what you need to get started and what results you can expect. No obligation, with real examples and all the answers you’re looking for.

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