This page offers some suggestions for access to live music, concessionary ticket schemes, ideas for accessible venues and finally organisations who might be able to offer live music in your own home.
Finding out what's on
If you want an overview of what's on in your area, try your local radio or a local Talking Newspaper.
Artsline
Artsline is the UK's leading disability access website, providing searchable information on over 1,000 arts venues across London. Artsline provides up-to-date information via a newsletter on physical access and aids for people with disabilities at all of London's arts and tourist venues. Artsline's online database has the disabled access information to over 1,000 venues in and around the Greater London region, plus every cinema in the United Kingdom.
Telephone: 020 7388 2227
Email: admin@artsline.org.uk
Attitude is Everything
Attitude is Everything aim to improve Deaf and disabled people's access to live music by encouraging the music industry to adopt the Charter of Best Practice. Accessibility is monitored by a national network of Mystery Shoppers who assess the access at live music festivals and venues across the UK, as well as running regular Club Attitude nights in accessible venues, showcasing Deaf and disabled artists to a mainstream audience.
Shape Arts
Shape Arts Tickets Scheme provides a social lifeline to disabled and older people, offering them chance to access the best entertainment and arts events that London has to offer.
Members of the scheme receive a regular newsletter which gives details of discounts at various London venues for elderly people, people with learning or physical disabilities, or those recovering from mental illness, and who live in London. Volunteer drivers and escorts are available for those with mobility difficulties. Annual membership of the scheme costs £10.00 for individuals and £20.00 for groups.
Telephone: 020 7700 0100
Email: info@shapearts.org.uk
Information on events at the South Bank Centre, English National Opera, the Royal Opera house, Barbican Centre, St John's Smith Square and Wigmore Hall are available directly from each venue on request in large print and Braille.
Concessionary ticket prices and ticket schemes
RNIB Box at the Royal Albert Hall
Since 1929 The RNIB has had a box at the Royal Albert Hall, offering tickets to blind and partially sighted people at subsidised prices.
Many music venues offer concessionary ticket prices or 'Two for the price of one' schemes, whereby an escort goes free. Check with box offices first. Where no formal system is in place, it might be worth asking the venue if they can come to an arrangement.
Not all venues set their own ticket prices. Concert promoters frequently set ticket prices, particularly at non-classical music venues. If you have any queries relating to tickets, and the venue is not responsible for pricing, they should be able to put you in touch with the promoter.
Museums and places to visit of musical interest
The following is not an exhaustive list and are simply suggestions.
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Finchcocks - Living Museum of Music (Kent) - Finchcocks is an 18th century manor house in Kent. It's home to one of the few museums in the world where most of the historical keyboards on display are in working order. The house is open from April to October, and hosts guided tours, demonstrations and informal recitals.
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Edinburgh University Collection of Historic Musical Instruments - Items from the collection of 1,000 wind, string and percussion instruments can be handled by arrangement.
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The Russell Collection, University of Edinburgh - The University's complementary collection of early keyboard instruments. Free guided tours are given in opening hours and sound guides to the galleries are available on request.
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Keith Harding's World of Mechanical Music (Cotswolds) - A museum of self-playing musical instruments and automata from days gone by.
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Mechanical Music Museum (Suffolk) - Old records, horn gramophones, organs with pipes reaching the rafters, fairground organs, barrel organs, a theatre organ and a gigantic cafe organ. The Museum also features street pianos and pianolas, as well as small instruments including musical boxes, polyphones, organettes, a musical chair and a musical Christmas tree.
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Pitt Rivers Museum - Music Makers Gallery (Oxford) - Musical instruments from all parts of history and all parts of the world. Some instruments can be held, and music boxes and barrel organs can be heard. A free sound guide is provided and there is also a tape and slide show.
Cathedrals Through Touch and Hearing
Cathedrals Through Touch and Hearing provides cathedrals with special features for blind and partially sighted people, which enable them to appreciate the history, architecture and spirituality of the building through senses other than sight.
All centres have a tactile wooden model and plan of the building, a cassette commentary to accompany the plan, a braille guidebook and a personal stereo with cassette.
The following cathedrals have a Touch and Hearing centre:
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Birmingham
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Canterbury
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Chichester
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Coventry
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Durham
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Exeter
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Gloucester
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Hereford
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Lichfield
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Lincoln
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Norwich
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Peterborough
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Salisbury
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St. Albans
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Winchester
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Worcester
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York Minster
The project is coordinated and directed by John Hull and Juliet Reeve.
Contact: Julie Leigh on 0121 414 4448 at the School of Education, Birmingham University.
Live Music in your home
Drake Music
Drake Music offer opportunities for any disabled people wishing to explore music making, this includes music making in the home. They currently have regional projects in the North West (mostly in Manchester), South West (mostly in Bristol), East Midlands and London and the South East.
Telephone: 020 7739 5444
email: info@drakemusic.org
Live Music Now
Live Music Now is a charitable scheme with branches located throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The scheme enables people to access the joy of live music, and is particularly aimed at those who have physical, sensory and learning disabilities. All musicians working for Live Music now are young professionals starting out in their careers. The young professional musicians work in settings including residential homes, hospitals and hospices.
Telephone: 020 7014 2829