Live Audience Accessibility & Augmentation – Exploring Accessible Haptic Futures for Music Festivals. ABLE Assembly 2025, Presentation

Bossey, Adrian ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9874-6323 (2025) Live Audience Accessibility & Augmentation – Exploring Accessible Haptic Futures for Music Festivals. ABLE Assembly 2025, Presentation. In: ABLE Assembly - Arts Better the Lives of Everyone, 11-13 April 2025, Berklee, Boston, USA.

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Abstract / Summary

Music festivals need to increase accessibility for people who are Deaf, disabled or neurodivergent. In response, music festivals are increasingly deploying ICT augmentation designed to enhance accessibility. This presentation considers three successful Live Audience Accessibility & Augmentation (‘LAAA’) projects exploring haptic technologies, pertaining to the sense of touch, for people who are Deaf, disabled or neurodivergent.

The initial LAAA project at Falmouth University in May 2023 built on previous research to evaluate audience experiences of engaging with authentic ‘live’ music performances. Attendees were invited to experience BEAT BLOCKS a new Bass flooring system which transforms sound into felt vibration. Six LAAA events were devised to support the gathering of research data via questionnaires and deliver a range of knowledge exchange outputs.

Two follow-on LAAA2 projects from August 2023 to July 2024 measured audience perceptions of experiencing the BEAT BLOCKS flooring system, or wearing haptic vests on-site at selected Music Festivals. LAAA2F field tested Woojer haptic vests during Deaf Rave performances at Boomtown Fair and the Deaf Rave Festival. LAAA2BB installed BEAT BLOCKS at; Cheltenham Jazz Festival, Meltdown Festival and Tropical Pressure. A photo elicitation methodology was adopted along-side questionairres considering potential policy implications. Knowledge exchange outputs and publications are anticipated.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Other)
Subjects:	Business > Leisure & Tourism
Courses by Department:	Cornwall Business School
Depositing User:	Adrian Bossey
Date Deposited:	23 Apr 2025 14:14
Last Modified:	23 Apr 2025 14:14
URI:	https://repository.falmouth.ac.uk/id/eprint/6028

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