Expertise Centre for Accessible Media and Culture

Would you like to stay informed about our future activities? Make sure to check our activities page and register for our mailing list via open@uantwerpen.be.

Masterclass Cloud Subtitling with OOONA (EN)

November 11, 2019

In this master class participants got acquainted with the most important functions of the OOONA Online Toolkit. We went through the entire subtitling process for open and closed subtitling, revision and file conversion, as well as many other functionalities integrated in the e-platform.This masterclass was taught by Serenella Massidda of the Roehampton University.

WORKSHOP Accessibility Management (NL)

May 9 and May 16, 2019

Our society is increasingly focusing on accessibility. The socio-cultural sector also wants to open its doors to a diverse public, so that everyone, with or without disabilities, feels welcome and can enjoy the rich cultural programme in Flanders. But there is a lot involved in organizing an accessible event. How do you ensure that the location is easily accessible, also for people who are less mobile or use public transport? How do you start making your communication and website accessible? Where can I find a sign interpreter? How do you make a performance accessible to people with a visual impairment? Or what techniques exist to integrate subtitles in a performance? These and other questions were addressed in this two-day workshop accessibility management.

The workshop drew on the expertise developed within the framework of the European research project ACT in which an online Accessibility Management course was developed. Together with the years of experience in media and cultural accessibility of both partners, this formed the basis of the workshop, in which the partners translate their knowledge to the situation in Flanders and offer participants a platform to exchange experience and start collaboration.

The workshop was a collaboration between Inter Vlaanderen and OPEN and was designed by Bart Parmentier, Fien Van Den Abeele, Thomas Desmet (Inter), Nina Reviers, Aline Remael and Gert Vercauteren (UAntwerp). We also let users and managers from the sector have their say.

WORKSHOP AUDIO DESCRIPTION FOR FILM AND TELEVISION (NL)

April 4, 2019

In this workshop we taught participants the basics of audio description for film and television. The TricS research group of our University has been doing research for years on making media accessible to people who can (not) see the image, through European projects, the doctoral research of the teachers of this workshop and collaborations with Flemish and Dutch media partners. In this workshop, we translated the most recent insights from research into practice through theory, guidelines, examples and exercises. After this workshop, you will have mastered the principles needed to write an audio description.

The workshop is taught by Gert Vercauteren (University of Antwerp), who also teaches Media Access in the Master of Translation at the Department of Applied Linguistics and Nina Reviers (University of Antwerp). 

OPEN FORUM: TECHNOLOGY FOR ACCESS (EN) 
February 8, 2019

Over 90 participants from 6 countries joined us during the first edition of this one-day event, which brought together a range of stakeholders in the field of media and cultural accessibility - researchers, trainers, translators, tech companies, media companies, cultural venues, service providers, broadcasters, users, user organizations, policy makers, NGOs, etc.

The opportunities and challenges of technological innovation for accessibility services in the media and cultural sectors were discussed during three keynote speeches, 6 stands in the exhibition space and 5 presentations.

Prof. Walter Daelemans of the CLiPS research group of the University of Antwerp discussed new developments and challenges in artifical intellegice, Ms. Inmaculada Placencia Porrero, Senior Expert in Disability and Inclusion at the Directorate-General Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion at the European Commission, discussed the new Accessibility Act and Ms. Julie Lenoir, European Affairs Assistant at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), presented the EBU’s research and actions regarding media accessibility.

After this opening session, participants visisted our standholders in the exhibition space and some of our exhibitors presented their services and products during 20-minute presentations, including our sponsor Earcatch.

More information about this event can be found here.

WORKSHOP AUDIO DESCRIPTION FOR THEATRE (EN/NL)

6 November, 2018

In this workshop, the most recent insights from research were translated into practice through theory, guidelines, examples and exercises. We worked together with Louise Fryer, researcher, teacher and experienced writer at Utopian Voices (UK).

What was taught in this workshop?

• How do you analyse and interpret the scenography of a performance?
• How to write a concise and captivating audio introduction?
• How to create a perfectly timed script that guides the audience through the performance?
• How do you deal with improvisation during the performance of your description?

WINTER SCHOOL AUDIO DESCRIPTION (NL/EN)

February 2019
In this workshop series we translated the most recent insights from research into practice through theory, guidelines, examples and exercises. We offered four workshops, each with a different theme. In addition to the workshop day itself, participants could already prepare themselves thoroughly via an online learning module. Which themes were covered?

• Workshop 1: Introduction audio thesis for film and television. Teachers: Gert Vercauteren & Nina Reviers (UAntwerp)
• Workshop 2: Audiodescription for film and television for advanced students. Teachers: Gert Vercauteren & Nina Reviers (UAntwerp)
• Workshop 3: Audio thesis for the performing arts. Teachers: Nina Reviers & Hanne Roofthooft (UAntwerp) in collaboration with Max Greyson (Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp).
• Workshop 4: Audiodescription of visual arts. Teachers: Elisa Perego (University of Trieste, Italy) & Nina Reviers

 

OPEN WINTER SCHOOL AUDIODESCRIPTIE 2020

In this workshop, participants learned the principles of audio description for film and television. The TricS research group of our University has been doing research for years on making media accessible for people who can (not) see the image. In this workshop, we translate the most recent insights from research into practice through theory, guidelines, examples and exercises. This workshop is based on the insights of a European research project carried out at the University of Antwerp, in which the teachers were involved: the ADLAB PRO project (adlabproject.eu). These insights are complemented by the years of experience of the teachers.

OPEN WINTER WORKSHOP 2021

In this online workshop, participants learned the principles of audio description for film and television. The TricS research group of our University has been doing research for years on making media accessible for people who can (not) see the image. In this workshop, we translate the most recent insights from research into practice through theory, guidelines, examples and exercises. This workshop is based on the insights of a European research project carried out at the University of Antwerp, in which the teachers were involved: the ADLAB PRO project (adlabproject.eu). These insights are complemented by the years of experience of the teachers.

UNLIMITED! 3 TEASER EVENT

In anticipation of the face-to-face conference Unlimited! 3 which will take place on 11 February 2022, the TricS research group and the OPEN Expertise Centre welcomed over 50 participants to a free online teaser event on 2 July 2021. A total of 9 speakers joined us from over 6 different countries. The themes they covered not only demonstrated that live accessibility is a vibrant and creative domain, but also that accessibility covers a wide range of topics that often move beyond the translational aspect of accessibility alone. More information is available on the website.