Making access visible: communicating access at Leeds Playhouse with All In

Leeds Playhouse is an award-winning theatre and cultural hub. They were the first theatre in the UK to show Relaxed performances, and pioneers of the world’s first Dementia Friendly performances. As a producing theatre, they create works which creatively integrate access into performances, and regularly work with deaf, disabled and neurodiverse artists to host a varied and accessible programme.

Leeds Playhouse is one of the pilot organisations for All In, the new access scheme for creativity and culture, developed by the Arts Councils of the UK and Ireland. All In was developed to address the barriers that disabled people face to engaging in arts and culture, and to support organisations to grow their disabled audiences.

Let’s explore some of the lessons we can learn from Leeds Playhouse on how to create an inclusive welcome that attracts and retains loyal disabled audiences. Spoiler: it’s not all about having state-of-the-art facilities (though that’s always great). How you communicate with your audiences plays just as big a role in giving people the confidence to come through your doors.

A group of disabled people representing different access requirements gather in the lobby under a neon sign of Leeds Playhouse. Credit All In.

Remove the uncertainty: share detail up front

One of the biggest barriers disabled people face when accessing culture is a lack of clear information. In 2025, All In partnered with Indigo Ltd to create the Access Culture Survey, a survey of over 12,000 visitors across 85 arts and cultural venues. It found that seven out of ten disabled people struggle to find clear accessibility information online, with 38% of disabled people missing cultural events altogether due to accessibility uncertainty.

The majority of disabled visitors (75%) will always research an activity or venue before attending. So having easily available, clear, and detailed access information is vital to help potential visitors feel confident that they can answer this key question: “will I be welcome here?”.

Familiarisation tools like photos, videos, visual stories, and audio introductions, are a welcome addition to your access information. Leeds Playhouse for example supports their online access information with a 360 virtual tour, showing photos of the entire site that users can navigate through and gain a richer sense of the environment, ahead of their visit. Detail and visualisations help remove the anxiety and uncertainty that might be prevent a disabled person from booking a ticket.

Clear communication also helps where access is less than ideal. Leeds Playhouse is located in the city centre, where parking is limited. The venue doesn’t have its own car park and so is unable to guarantee parking for visitors who need this. But they mitigate this limitation by sharing information that helps visitors make an informed choice about how they manage the barriers they might still face: sharing details of the public transport options, nearest car parks, and that Blue Badge holders can use the level access parking bays at the council-run car park just outside.

The more detail we provide up front, the more we lift the burden off disabled people from having to spend time doing additional research, or risk feeling too excluded to attend altogether. Leeds Playhouse is building an even more detailed access page through the All In programme, using All In’s comprehensive access questions to flesh out their profile. Subscribers can build their own location profiles, using a consistent framework so disabled audiences can easily find the information that’s relevant to their needs, all in one place.

Accessible programming: invite diverse audiences

People perceive and experience performances in different ways, so it’s important to host accessible shows that everyone can enjoy. Leeds Playhouse programmes accessible performances that are adapted from a standard show (for example, through offering audio description headsets), or where access is built in as part of the creative work (for example, with audio description provided by actors as part of the action). Some performances have multiple access adaptations, to support individuals who face multiple barriers, and to enable family and friends with different needs to attend together.

But an accessible experience that isn’t communicated accessibly won’t reach its target audience. Leeds Playhouse provide audio and BSL flyers alongside written information online. This enables audiences to find information in the formats that they’re most comfortable with.

As part of All In, Leeds Playhouse can promote all their shows through All In’s online listings. Disabled members of the public can search for cultural activities and filter for specific access provisions, making it easier to find experiences that suit them.

A smiling woman with a Hearing Dog for the Deaf stands at the Box Office of Leeds Playhouse. Credit: All In

Trust and responsiveness: build a relationship with your audiences

Sharing clear access information proactively and marketing your events in accessible ways tells disabled audiences they are being considered and welcomed through your doors. But this isn’t always enough for someone to feel confident that they won’t face other barriers once they arrive.

Leeds Playhouse offer access familiarisation tours for the public. Individuals can arrange a visit with a member of staff where they will be shown around the building, explore the facilities and the support available, and discover which seats in the auditorium suit them best.

For example, a sign language user might explore which area of the Quarry amphitheatre has the best sightlines for seeing the BSL interpreter alongside the action for an upcoming play. A wheelchair user might test whether they prefer to stay in their own wheelchair or transfer onto a seat. Others might explore which rows have few or no steps to reach them, or discuss what the process is in an evacuation. It’s much easier for a disabled person to enjoy their experience knowing there’s an accessible evacuation route from their seat in the theatre all

the way outside, ensuring their independence and dignity is maintained in emergencies.

All In’s access profile tool enables Leeds Playhouse to specify details such as these accessible seat recommendations alongside broader venue or auditorium access information. This provides another way to support customers to feel confident to book a ticket, especially if they’re not able to visit in advance.

A screenshot of the All In location access profile for Leeds Playhouse. Credit All In.

Leeds Playhouse told us their familiarisation tours have been well received by disabled visitors, whether they’re completely new or returning to the theatre with additional or different disability experiences. The bespoke approach ensures each person is given the time and attention to ask questions or experiment with seating options to find the solution that works for them.

Leeds Playhouse are planning to launch a public access tour. The tour is focused on access and is available to anyone who would prefer to get to know the space in advance, helping to make future visits more enjoyable.

Visitors using the service are often keen to talk about their experiences and work with the team at Leeds Playhouse to test out access equipment or share their feedback on how they can improve. Organisations build positive, trusting relationships with their access audiences by inviting people in, listening and responding to their needs and experience.

Maintaining positive relationships also means making feedback easy to share beyond the familiarisation tour. Leeds Playhouse place QR codes for customer surveys on the back of toilet doors as a simple way to grab attention and collect feedback on their experiences before visitors leave (not to mention making it straightforward to report when a toilet might need extra attention!)

As part of All In, the Leeds Playhouse team can refer to the All In Accessibility Standards for further advice on how to keep improving their offering, such as exploring inclusive feedback approaches, or accessible communication across different formats.

The All In Accessibility Standards are the first dedicated guidelines for improving access across the creative and cultural sector in the UK and Ireland. They can be used like an encyclopaedia of access, providing practical, structured guidance to help organisations improve the quality and consistency of access. And alongside the Standards, subscribers like Leeds Playhouse can call on the All In Access Specialists (that’s me!) for one-to-one support as needed, whether that’s to help with implementing a Standard, or to review their location access profile to ensure it’s as useful and valuable for as many disabled people as possible.

So, will I be welcome here?

We’ve explored some of the ways Leeds Playhouse and All In support inclusive communication and welcome diverse disabled audiences. From sharing detailed access information through All In’s unified listings, to achieving the good practice principles that the Standards outline, the ultimate aim is to ensure everyone has a good experience.

About All In

All In is the new access scheme for creativity and culture in the UK and Ireland. We support theatres, arts centres, museums, galleries, libraries and festivals to remove barriers and improve accessibility for deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent people.

To find out more how All In can support your organisation, visit allin.online.