The Soprano concert at the Arena Loire Trézalé was audio described for visually impaired spectators. A unique device in France.
This is a great first in France, last Saturday at the Arena Loire Trézalé, Soprano performed during a unique concert since visually impaired spectators were able to benefit from live “audio description”. A special device which the Marseille artist welcomes. ” VSIt’s magnificent to be able to do this, it’s a source of pride for me », he confides in the middle of his show. As part of the “Star Hunters Tour”, the several dozen blind or visually impaired spectators were equipped with headphones and a receiver in order to hear the audio descriptor while enjoying the supercharged show of the rapper named in the “Francophone Tour of the Year” category at the NMA.
And the least we can say is that the initiative appeals to those concerned. “ Usually, when I attend a concert, it’s a friend or my wife who whispers in my ear the most memorable moments.”, confides Jean-Christophe Guyon, suffering from retinitis which affects his vision, to AFP. “ Not only is it not smooth, but it can also bother those around you”he adds.
An audio-described concert for the visually impaired
For the occasion, the mission took on a unique character because it is a great first for a current music concert. The operation was launched by the Visio d’Angers foundation, which specializes in help and assistance for visually impaired children and adults. The service was provided by Morgan Renault, author and narrator of audio description. A job that he has been practicing for more than ten years but usually for cinema, audiovisual, theater or even dance. “My goal is to be as precise and graphic as possible so that these people can have the same experience as the sighted, without encroaching on the words of Soprano,” he explains.
Its mission: to describe with the greatest possible precision the scenography put in place by Soprano. “ I prepared the framework for the first part and for the second, I went there instinctively, sensing the opportune moments to speak, without polluting the concert”indicates the narrator, before adding: “ I especially hope that this experience will be repeated “.