If you are responsible for any little humans in your life you will probably have come across the hit TV Show Paw Patrol. A group of lively rescue pups who save the day on a regular basis with the motto “no job is too big, no pup is too small!”
Paw Patrol Live! “Race to the Rescue” is the arena tour planned for the UK and Ireland this July and August. The organisers behind the show have ensured that no accessibility issue is too big for them to handle by announcing that every venue at every location will offer accessibility for Deaf and visually impaired audience members.
There will be a performance at every location where audiences will have access to live British Sign Language (BSL) and a pre-recorded audio description service. This is a first in the industry and is being hailed as a very positive and move that should encourage other shows to follow suit.
Marie Pascall, Director at Performance Interpreting Ltd, the company providing BSL support on the tour, commented:“Historically, access to arena events has been very limited and sporadic. Those who are Deaf are often unable to find out in advance if resources are accessible at an event and so either decide not to buy a ticket or, they take a gamble and then find out they aren’t able to access it fully when they attend. PAW Patrol Live! is the first arena tour that truly brings a whole family together, allowing everyone to simultaneously enjoy the live action on stage.”
“The tour goes beyond any I have worked with before. The promoter clearly recognises and understands the importance of inclusivity for all. Not only are there dedicated sessions that are clearly highlighted at point of ticket sales; PAW Patrol Live! is also working closely with the sign language team to create a seamless connection between the action on stage and the interpreter.”
Michael Kenyon, Theatre Programme Manager for VocalEyes, the company providing the pre-recorded audio description also comments:“PAW Patrol Live! is breaking the mould by including pre-recorded audio description for visually impaired audiences at every venue, alongside the inclusion of BSL. Clearly this benefits people who are either blind or partially sighted nationwide. But also, importantly it can benefit friends and family; PAW Patrol is aimed at a young demographic but having audio description opens up the possibility of a grandparent with sight-loss attending with their grandchild.”
He continues: “This also provides a business model for access; not only are the producers increasing the number of potential ticket buyers by including access early in their planning and by including a performance with accessibility support in every location to create economies of scale, but they are doing it more cost effectively than if it was done piecemeal later on in the process. It is the right thing to do, and by doing it in the right way, it helps to make it repeatable.”
PAW Patrol always had my vote over some other children’s programmes as each episode is wholesome, fun, and teaches children nice lessons about helping people and being kind to others – unlike some other popular children’s programmes that promote naughty behaviour, sexism, general stereotypes, and jumping in muddy puddles – no names mentioned, ahem (Peppa Pig!) That’s just my personal take on the shows my children still insist on watching!
Back to the topic at hand, this is great news for families who want to enjoy the fun of the PAW Patrol characters in an inclusive setting, below are the dates of the accessible shows and a link to book tickets:
Date and time of performances with BSL support and VocalEyes audio description:
Utilita Arena Newcastle, England Saturday 4 July @ 1630
P&J Live Aberdeen, Scotland Wednesday 8 July @ 1630
First Direct Arena Leeds, England Saturday 11 July @ 1630
Edinburgh Playhouse, Scotland Wednesday 15 July @ 1700
Glasgow Armadillo, Scotland Sunday 19 July @ 1630
O2 Apollo Manchester, England Thursday 23 July @ 1630
Motorpoint Arena Nottingham, England Monday 27 July @ 1630
3Arena Dublin, Ireland Saturday 1 August @ 1630
Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Wales Wednesday 5 August @ 1630
Brighton Centre, England Saturday 8 August @ 1630
Arena Birmingham, England Wednesday 12 August @ 1630
The SSE Arena Wembley, England Sunday 16 August @ 1630
Bournemouth International Arena, England Wednesday 19 August @ 1630
SSE Arena Belfast, Northern Ireland Sunday 23 August @ 1630
M&S Bank Arena Liverpool, England Thursday 27 August @ 1630
Venue Cymru Llandudno, Wales Monday 31 August @ 1630
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