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TDF offers a limited number of two-year partnerships with professional regional theatres to sponsor open captioned performances and increase attendance by people who are deaf or hard of hearing. The sponsorship is intended as a service in and of itself for people who are hard of hearing or deaf rather than a supplemental service to be offered in tandem with regularly scheduled sign language interpreted performances.
TDF is specifically interested in partnering with new markets and partnerships are not intended to be used as a funding source for theatres already offering open captioning. Previous partners are also ineligible for new partnerships. No monies are exchanged between TDF and each venue but rather a mutually agreed upon sharing of responsibilities that are outlined below.
Congratulations to our 2019-2020 season partners:
1st year partners:
2nd year partners:
TDF Provides:
COST OF SERVICE
Payment of expenses for contracting open captioning services through a professional theatre captioning company, which includes captioning fees as well as any travel expenses incurred by the caption operators during the preparation process and performance. Our service provider is c2, Caption Coalition Inc., for any OC sponsorship as we have a long-standing partnership with the company in modeling best practices on a national level. c2 is specific to TDF partnerships.
ASSISTANCE WITH PROMOTION
Listing of TDF sponsored open captioned performances at the partnering venue on TDF's website, with links for ticket purchasing; and publicizing these accessible performances through mail and email newsletters to TDF theatregoers with hearing loss.
EXPERTISE
Readiness to share experience on audience development, equipment options and funding; and to serve as a liaison, when needed, between producing entity and venue in regard to queries that may arise.
Partnering Venue Provides:
TICKETS
Designation of a minimum of 25 seats in the front orchestra, side section, within comfortable reading distance of the captioning unit, made available to people with hearing loss and sold through the venue box office.
MARKETING
Acknowledgment to TDF as caption provider in print and website listings notifying the public of these accessible performances; and on production credit page, in same size and format as union acknowledgments, acknowledgment to TDF, with TDF logo, substantially as follows: “Partial support for open captioning provided by TDF.”
TDF CREDIT
Insertion of one-page program stuffer (copy supplied by TDF) listing appropriate acknowledgments; and distribution of TDF-supplied questionnaires to a random sampling of at least 50 audience members on the captioning side of the orchestra for two TDF sponsored open captioned performances, several months apart, during the first season of a possible two-year pilot project.
Please Note: Should the partnering venue fail to uphold any of these provisions, TDF reserves the right to terminate the partnership at any time. Although TDF leaves the ticket cost of each sponsored open-captioned performance up to individual theatres, we strongly recommend parity in pricing. For example, if a theatre offers discounted tickets for sign language interpreted and audio described performances, then, if at all possible, the same policy should be extended to its open captioned performances.
PREVIOUS NATIONAL OPEN CAPTIONING PARTNERSHIPS
2004
Bay Street Theatre
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Westport Country Playhouse
2005
Asolo Repertory Theatre
2006
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
2007
Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center
Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
2008-2009
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
The Denver Center for Performing Arts
Paramount Theatre
National Theatre
2009-2010
Auditorium Theatre, Rochester Broadway Theatre League
Fifth Avenue Theatre
Fox Cities Performing Arts Center
Seattle Repertory Theatre
Trinity Repertory Company
Wharton Center
2010-2011
Alabama Shakespeare Festival
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
E.J. Thomas Hall - The University of Akron
Orpheum Theatre, Hennepin Theatre Trust
2011-2012
Alliance Theatre
Blumenthal Performing Arts
Norfolk Department of Cultural Facilities Arts & Entertainment
Fox Theatre, Atlanta
Portland Center for the Performing Arts
Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Tennessee Performing Arts Center
2012-2013
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
PlayMakers Repertory Company
Segerstrom Center for the Arts
2013-2014
Berkeley Repertory Theatre
Cal Shakes
Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Clarence Brown Theatre
Geva Theatre Center
Lookingglass Theatre Company
The Studio Theatre
2014-2015
ACT Theatre
Northlight Theatre
Shakespeare Theatre Company
2015-2016
A.R.T.
Artists Repertory Theatre
Hippodrome Foundation
Marin Theatre Company
Signature Theatre (D.C.)
2016-2017
AT&T Performing Arts Center
Dallas Theater Center
Imagination Stage
Slow Burn Theatre Company
Timeline Theatre Company
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