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This Deafblind Awareness Week Hywel Davies has been hearing more from the country’s only national charity that specialises in the condition, Deafblind UK.

For more information on the charity, visit their website - Deafblind UK | Supporting Deafblindness in the UK

Amelia Catches up with Holly Tuke from the RNIB Social Media team for this weeks update.

They discuss the Euros, what makes a GIF and alt text of an interesting water bottle mishap.

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There’s a public speaking event being held in Glasgow on Tuesday 25th June showcasing several Blind and Partially young people’s public speaking skills following a course. David Hogg found out more.

News about accessible opera and ballet with a first for opera audio description at the Royal Opera House in London as there will be recorded audio description available at all of the performances of Tosca in July along with touch tours prior to the performances on Tuesday 16 and Friday 19 July at 6.30pm.

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey was joined by Audio Describer Alice Gilmour who worked on the recorded description for Tosca and Paul Adams, Access Project Manager at the Royal Opera House to find out more about Tosca with recorded description.

About Tosca: 

From Sardou's play to Puccini's opera

From the early 1890s Giacomo Puccini had toyed with adapting French playwright Victorien Sardou’s gripping melodrama La Tosca into an opera, but only began serious work following the premiere of the critically acclaimed La bohème in 1896. Employing La bohème's gifted librettists Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica to streamline Sardou's complicated plot, Puccini’s Tosca premiered in 1900.   

With the city gripped by political unrest, fears of violence plagued the premiere at Rome’s Teatro Costanzi. However, Tosca opened without incident, and although unpopular with critics who disliked its violence, it became an immediate success with the public and has remained a favourite ever since. 

Puccini portrays the idealism of Tosca and her lover Cavaradossi through radiant, expansive music, including Act I's duet 'Qual occhio al mondo' (What eyes of this world), Cavaradossi's ardent aria 'Recondita armonia' (Hidden harmony) and Tosca's despairing Act II prayer 'Vissi d'arte' (I lived for my art). Scarpia's music, by contrast, is dark and terrifying – from the demonic chords that open the opera to the violence of his Act II exchanges with Tosca.

Booking details:

To book your tickets and a place on the pre-performance Touch Tours on Tuesday 16 or Friday 19 July at 6.30pm do contact the Royal Opera House box office either by emailing boxoffice@roh.org.uk or calling 020 7304 4000 and don’t forget to mention that you would like a headset and device to listen to the recorded audio description for Tosca.

Touch tours are only available to ticket holders using the Audio Description service and if applicable, their companion.


More about Tosca can be found on the following pages of the Royal Opera House website - https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/tosca-by-jonathan-kent-2024-details#accessibility





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The UK General Election is taking place on the 4th of July and it’s important that everyone heads to the polling stations to cast their vote.   

Paulina Kuchorew speaks with RNIB’s Chief Executive Matt Stringer about what the charity is focusing on ahead of the UK General Election and why it's important to head to the polling station.

And if you would like to help make sight loss a priority for the next UK Government ask your local candidates to become an RNIB Champion if elected. To contact your candidates fill out the simple form here: https://rnib.in/GEConnectR

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RNIB are offering guided walks to prospective candidates in the run up to the General Election.

David Hogg spoke to RNIB’s Lewis Winton and Ross Meegan about how the walks are going so for and about the RNIB Champions Scheme.

And if you would like to help make sight loss a priority for the next UK Government ask your local candidates to become an RNIB Champion if elected. To contact your candidates fill out the simple form here: https://rnib.in/GEConnectR

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