Accessibility
We want many people to be able to visit our festival. For this reason, there are various offers for a more accessible festival environment. You can find the relevant performances on using the programme filter, where you can filter for ‘Sign Language’, for example.
If you have any questions about accessibility, please contact Olga Drygas (office: +41 77 484 71 37 or olga.drygas@auawirleben.ch), languages: DE, EN, PL.
Access Friends
Access Friends greet the audience at the venues and are available before, during and after the performances. They are recognisable by their purple waistcoats. Questions about accessibility can be put directly to the Access Friends.
Sign Language Interpretation
For Deaf people and people with hearing disabilities, some performances are translated into Swiss German Sign Language (DSGS).
You can find all the productions with DSGS here.
Surtitles etc.
Most of the performances are surtitled in German and English. This makes performances accessible to Deaf or hard of hearing audiences. Thanks to the surtitles, performances with, for example, Croatian or Portuguese spoken text are also understandable for a broad Bernese audience.
You can find all the productions with surtitles here.
For people with vision disabilities
Various measures are taken to make performances accessible to people with vision disabilities, sometimes with audio description during the performance or with audio introductions in the foyer. We also offer a tactile tour for selected performances.
You can find the productions which are accessible to people with vision disabilities here.
For people with mobility disabilities
All venues are accessible for people with mobility disabilities and have an accessible toilet. You can find more info about the spatial situations in the accessibility section for each production.
Relaxed Performances
Some performances take place as Relaxed Performances. A Relaxed Performance is a theatre experience designed to create a more welcoming and inclusive atmosphere than we are used to in the theatre. Traditional theatre settings are adapted and the audience is encouraged to experience the performances in a way that is comfortable for them.
Movements and noises in the audience are expressly permitted. They can take a break at any time, leave the theatre and come back again. They can sit, lie down on beanbags or change seats during the performance. Babies and children are welcome at some performances.
Please note that Relaxed Performances focus on adapting the environment, not the content of the performance. Please check the content notes and sensory stimulus notes for details.
Here you can find all Relaxed Performances.
Content notes
As each person has their own, constantly changing story, the experience is always perceived in a new and individual way. With the content notes, we want to ensure that you feel well prepared and comfortable for the performances. We provide you with content notes for productions without anticipating the plot.
We are aware that what may be a trigger for one person may not be the same for another. What is discussed in the productions can be upsetting or retraumatising and trigger bad feelings. Our aim is to provide content guidance that will enable you to choose the productions that best suit your personal story. Auawirleben aims to create a supportive and inclusive space where you can fully engage with our performances through our content information, or choose not to, as is right for you. We publish content notes in the section Accessibility for all our performances.
Sensory Triggers
Some productions contain sensory elements that can be intense or overwhelming for certain audience members. Sensory cues help you prepare for a performance by highlighting elements that may affect your wellbeing or experience. We provide information on sensory triggers in the section Accessibility for all our performances.
Soli Ticket
With the Soli Tickets, people are admitted to the festival whose financial situation cannot cover admission. The solidarity tickets are donated by other audience members.
You find out more about donating or obitaining a Soli Ticket here.
Special Check-In
If, for any reason, you would like to avoid the crowded foyer, need a specific seat, require assistance due to a mobility disabilities or would like to be picked up at the bus station, please contact us in advance (checkin@auawirleben.ch) or contact the Access Friends at the venues on site. We will provide you with the best possible support and cater to your needs.
Easy Read
There is a Easy Read section for each production on the website. These short texts are for anyone who finds complex texts difficult to read and understand.
Social Stories
Social stories are used as a tool to prepare people for a public event such as a theatre performance. In our social stories on the website, you will find a precise description of the situation that awaits you at the theatre venue and the rules that apply there.