Engage2stage are our theatre performance group for the visually impaired. They usually hold weekly sessions at the Met every Monday.

We asked the group what they had been up to during lockdown, and how they had begun adapting to a new way of working…

Whilst like many Engage2Stage have had to put our plans on hold for the time being, we have been using the spare time we now have to pause, reflect and take stock. Much of the first week of lockdown was spent adapting to working from home and working on our plans for when we start back at the Met Theatre.

As chairperson of Engage2Stage I have two main focuses at this time. The first being how we adapt our on-going project so that it’s delivery is both realistic and financially viable. Currently the plan is that we will resume our work at the Met in September. I can’t say that having to stop the project halfway through its delivery hasn’t been challenging but I am proud of everyone’s response to this crisis, and people’s resolve has been inspirational in so many different ways. As such I would  like to take this opportunity to thank our supporters and funders for their understanding at this time.

My second and perhaps most pressing focus at this time is addressing what we do in the interim. Engage2stage was set-up with inclusion and accessibility at its heart, whilst tackling isolation and loneliness within the local visually impaired community. Whilst many of our activities have had to be put on hold during this difficult time we remain committed to our core aims and values. It is with this in mind that we are planning a series of online workshop sessions. These online workshops are still in the planning phase but will be free for visually impaired individuals to join and we will have further updates about these sessions in the coming days. It’s hoped that these workshops will enable us to engage with our members as well as reach out to visually impaired people from further afield. It’s now more important than ever that we stay connected and move forward together during these difficult times.

For more details about our online workshops please look out for updates on our Facebook and Twitter over the coming days.

Stay safe everyone,

From everyone at Engage2stage

Here at The Met we invest between £80,000 – £100,000 in our outreach work each year. As a charity, we rely heavily on the generosity of the public to help us support projects like Engage2Stage, particularly during this time when we need to adapt our ways of working to ensure our community do not miss out. You can help us to continue our work by donating or becoming a member. Any support will be gratefully received, thank you!