The Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro is becoming more accessible to the blind

The Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro is becoming more accessible to the blind thanks to a pilot project carried out in collaboration with the Italian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired.

This year, Il Barbiere di Siviglia on 15 August will, for the first time, be completely accessible to the visually impaired.

A professional voice will guide the spectator through the set design, the costumes, and the unsung and set-to-music actions with inserts prepared by technicians during rehearsals, using mini radios equipped with headphones.

"In a special year with Pesaro 2024 as the Italian Capital of Culture, the Festival has created an equally special edition, four days longer and with an even richer program. It seemed natural to us that such an edition should guarantee maximum accessibility to our audience," said superintendent Ernesto Palacio.

The project, explained Rof General Manager Cristian Della Chiara, was born out of discussions with Maruska Palazzi, Guarantor for the rights of persons with disabilities of the Municipality of Pesaro. "I am happy that the Rof has taken this step that means much more than it may seem because it manifests attention and listening to an inclusive community," commented national councilor and president of the provincial section of the Italian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired Maria Mencarini, recalling that "the accessibility of opera is expanding in Italy thanks to a project initially carried out with the University of Macerata." For Rof president Daniele Vimini, the project "fits in well with the activities of Pesaro Italian Capital of Culture 2024: activities that make inclusivity and the involvement of the territory's cultural associations one of the reference themes."