Eastern Front Theatre Accessibility Project - Member's Statement

I rise in recognition of Eastern Front Theatre and the work that they have done in championing accessibility initiatives across this province. In 2021, they launched the Accessibility Project, an ongoing initiative aimed at guiding theatre organizations in moving forward to reduce barriers to accessing and working in performing arts, no matter what capacity.

In addition to a full report on the current state and future of accessibility in Nova Scotia theatre, this project has also seen the creation of the Accessibility Hub, an online community resource that creates a shared vocabulary, provides access measures, and normalizes access plans. The hub includes a search tool that allows the user to find recommendations to make their activities more accessible, depending on their timeline, budget and target community. Users are able to add the recommendations to their plan and can export the list that can be then used for grant proposals, infrastructure changes or strategic planning.

Eastern Front Theatre is currently in Phase 3 of the Accessibility Project and is working on the development of accessible venue audits to help organizations and facilities assure that they are creating welcoming, accessible spaces. Theatre is for everyone and these efforts by Eastern Front will bring more theatre to a greater number of Nova Scotians. I ask the House to rise and thank Eastern Front and their entire team for their services.