Vienna (OTS) – From the 2024/25 anniversary season, the offering for blind and visually impaired people will be significantly expanded – including audio descriptions, program booklets in Braille and “touch tours”.
The Burgtheater and Casinos Austria began their sponsorship partnership with the 2005/2006 season. The “13. Series”, in which theater guests receive a free program booklet and a voucher for a soft drink at the break buffet, has become a popular classic. A lively partnership not only involves preserving, but also opening up to new topics. An open view of society and its changes is a core competency of the theater. And Casinos Austria has always strived to address social challenges openly: challenges such as the inclusion of people with disabilities, which should be self-evident, but is far from everywhere.
Last December, the Burgtheater and Casinos Austria took a new approach together to offer blind and visually impaired people the most comprehensive theater experience possible: For the production of “The Magic Flute”, a program booklet was created in Braille in cooperation with the Braille Center of the Federal Institute for the Blind in Vienna. Font developed and distributed free of charge at the performances.
Due to the impressive response from guests, this pilot project will be significantly expanded for the 2024/25 season. Braille programs will be available for five productions in the future. In addition, Casinos Austria enables the expansion of the range of live audio descriptions for selected performances, which convey what is happening on stage beyond the dialogue. The offer is rounded off with “touch tours” before the performance in order to give blind and visually impaired people a tactile impression of the stage design.
The inclusion project is part of the Burgtheater’s overall efforts to enable people with physical and/or mental limitations to enjoy culture. 2024/25 is the 20th season of the Burgtheater’s sponsorship partnership with Casinos Austria, in which Braille itself also has an anniversary: in 2025 it will celebrate its 200th anniversary.
Casinos Austria has a comprehensive understanding of social responsibility. It includes support for art and culture in Austria as well as social commitment in all its diversity. The “Our Commitment to Austria” project started in 2023, in which all twelve casinos each support three locally active social organizations on a financial and personnel level. The “Happy Moments” initiative was also launched last year, providing cancer patients with ticket contingents for cultural events – including performances at the Burgtheater. The removal of barriers of all kinds and the opportunity to participate in culture are essential components of inclusion. The joint commitment of Casinos Austria and the Burgtheater for the new season shows in an exemplary manner how this can be achieved.
Questions & Contact:
Patrick Minar
Managing Director Corporate Communications
Casinos Austria AG
Tel.: +43 (1) 53440 – 31900
E-Mail: patrick.minar@casinos.at
Website: www.casinos.at www.playsponsible.at
Peter Prostrednik MSc., BSc.
Head of Sponsoring
Casinos Austria AG
Tel.: +43 (1) 53440 – 22337
E-Mail: peter.prostrednik@casinos.at
Homepage: www.casinos.at www.playsponsible.at
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