Audio description

with Fia Neises, Leo Naomi Baur and Nadja Dias

The photograph shows an outdoor shot of Fia Neises in the performance “Ohren Sehen” (Ears See). Her upper body is in the center of the picture. The background shows the trunk of a birch tree. A play of light and shadow extends across the photograph. Fia Neises is white, approximately 30 years old, has short blonde hair and green eyes that look in different directions. Her face appears open and attentive. She is equipped with headphones and a headset. She also wears an olive-colored hoodie covered with green and orange strings.
© Dieter Hartwig

Nadja Dias moderated a discussion with artists Fia Neises and Leo Baur on the integration of audio description (AD) in dance performances. Fia emphasized the need to shift away from sighted-centric perspectives and shared her experience with her piece "With or Without You," which included interactive elements and choices for visually impaired audience members. Leo discussed their work "The Disempowered" and the use of fictional choreography through elements of audio description to create a sensory experience of dance without visually present dancers. Both artists highlighted the need for flexible and creative AD practices, emphasizing the importance of collaboration from the very beginning of a production process.

Fia/Sophia Neises is a freelance performer, choreographer, access dramaturge, theater educator and disability rights activist. In her artistic research, she explores the aesthetics of access for blind audiences with Zwoisy Mears-Clarke, Jess Curtis, Michael Turinsky, [in]operabilities and Rykena/Jüngst among others. She is currently working with her collective “LIFT” on the next dance piece “Biofuck”, which will premiere in Berlin in January 2026. She identifies as a disabled artist and encourages the appreciation of people's individual styles of perception and the creation of unconditional access to art during the process.