Sign Integrated Theatre

Sign Integrated Performance (SIP) uses one or more professional interpreters, who also have a background in theatre, to integrate the sign interpretation into the performance. This means that the signers will move around the stage as the action happens and will shadow the characters for whom they are sign interpreting. This not only allows a deaf audience to see both the communication and the action at the same time, but also enriches the performance for a hearing audience. Deaf patrons, although preferably sitting close enough to the stage to see the signing, can be dotted around the auditorium.

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'Over the years there have…been advances in support of audiences with access needs, providing them with additional services such as audio description, captioning and signed performances. These services to date have generally tended to be bolted on to existing performances rather than natively designed and built into the overall experience. The accessibility work ... projects have mainly been focused specifically on improvements for disabled people. But as the projects have reported, improving access for a targeted section of an audience often improves it for all.'

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(http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/download-file/DigitalRDFundGuide_Accessibility.pdf)