Theater der Altmark: New technology for better accessibility!

Theater der Altmark: New technology for better accessibility!

A little more listening pleasure for everyone: The Theater der Altmark (TdA) in Stendal recently installed a new hearing amplification system that will benefit people with hearing impairments. Why is this important? People with hearing impairments often have difficulty fully enjoying the performances, and this is exactly where the new project comes into play. Theater director Dorotty Szalma, in cooperation with the district's inclusion advisory board, initiated this exciting project, which aims to significantly improve accessibility in the theater.

The concept was developed a year and a half ago and has now been put into practice with funding. Microphones on stage record the sound and transmit it directly to special headphones. This gives users the opportunity to regulate the volume independently using a control on the side of the headphones - that sounds like a big step in the right direction! As Volksstimme reports, the TdA has purchased a total of 20 of these devices for 2,500 euros, which can be borrowed free of charge in the future.

Premiere in sight

A highlight is right around the corner: the TdA will celebrate the premiere of the use of these headphones on November 8, 2025 with the Christmas fairy tale “The Little Prince”. Marcus Graubner from the Inclusion Advisory Board has already tested the devices and will probably also be enthusiastic about the new possibilities. Szalma already sees the next exciting project being the introduction of audio description for people with visual impairments, and it remains to be seen what comes next!

But it's not just in the TdA that something is happening for accessibility. In Cologne, the cultural project “Un-lable” is committed to bringing artists with and without disabilities together. Artistic director Lisette Reuter reports on the difficulties for disabled people in accessing artistic training facilities. The fact is that, according to Reuter, there are only five professionally trained actors and dancers with disabilities in Germany. Many large cultural institutions argue that there is a lack of appropriately trained staff, and this shortage continues to create barriers to access to the arts.

Creating a better coexistence

The diversity study by the German Cultural Council shows that only four percent of employees in large cultural institutions are disabled. These figures clearly illustrate how important it is to reorganize cultural funding and rethink the industry. Access to culture, whether through sign language interpreters or subtitling, needs to be significantly improved. However, Reuter remains optimistic: the UN Convention on Persons with Disabilities was ratified in 2009, and she hopes for serious political measures from the current coalition government and from Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth.

With all of these developments and initiatives, it is clear that the need to break down barriers and make culture accessible to everyone is very important. The use of special headphones, such as those offered on mysecondear, is particularly important for people with hearing impairments in order to improve everyday life and participation in cultural events. These devices, equipped with high sound processing, help to emphasize voices and significantly reduce background noise - this could also play a role in TdA.

Overall it shows: things are moving forward! Combining different approaches to cultural funding could create more accessible and inclusive platforms for everyone in the near future - this is a path that we should think about and support.