All In commences pilot in Leeds

The four organisations represent a diverse range of artforms across theatre, museums, heritage, opera and art allowing the scheme to be tested across a range of different venues and creative outputs.

The pilot is expected to run for eight months through to summer 2025 and will take a collaborative and flexible approach with the participating organisations. It will provide crucial insights allowing further developments to be made before it rolls out across the creative and cultural sector.

In this significant phase of the project, All In will analyse, reflect, and respond on key features of the scheme including:

• The quality of accessibility standards for creative and cultural venues, including the built environment, digital communications, customer service, and commissions, events and programming.
• Support and skills development to help staff put these standards into practice.
• A digital system which allows access requirement to be shared smoothly and securely when booking tickets or attending events.
• Listings to help people find cultural and creative experiences that meet their access needs.

Developed by disabled people for disabled people, All In is committed to removing barriers to creativity and culture. The pilot is a significant milestone in this journey and will provide valuable insight in how the scheme can help our sector welcome more disabled people through their doors.

All In will announce the annual subscription rate in January, ahead of roll out across the UK and Ireland in the second half of 2025.

Darren Henley, Chief Executive, Arts Council England; Maureen Kennelly, Director, Arts Council Ireland; Roisín McDonough, Chief Executive, Arts Council of Northern Ireland; Dafydd Rhys, Chief Executive, Arts Council of Wales; and Iain Munro, Chief Executive, Creative Scotland say: “It’s great to get to this point in development after so much work, and get the real-world testing underway in Leeds and West Yorkshire. We’re heartened by the enthusiasm Leeds Heritage Theatres, Leeds Museums and Galleries, Leeds Playhouse, and Opera North have shown, and excited by their passion to get involved and make changes within their organisations. We’re one step closer to changing cultural experiences for disabled patrons in the UK and Ireland and look forward to the rollout of the scheme in 2025.”

Vicky Cheetham, CEO, Leeds Heritage Theatres, said: “Leeds Heritage Theatres is constantly striving to provide an inclusive and accessible environment for everyone to enjoy performances and films at our venues. We are thrilled to be taking part in All In as we want to remove as many barriers as we can to attending arts and culture events. We’re interested in learning from our peers and are excited to work with ACE and colleagues at organisations across the city.”

Lizzy Wilson, Head of Audience Development at Leeds Museums & Galleries said: “Leeds Museums & Galleries are thrilled to take part in this significant national project. Audiences are at the heart of what we do across our eight venues, and it is extremely important that we make them accessible and open to all. We’re looking forward to implementing real change to both our online customer journey and in person experiences. Having the knowledge and expertise of this project group is really exciting and we look forward to getting started.”

Shawab Iqbal, Joint Chief Executive, Leeds Playhouse, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with Arts Council England on developing the All In arts access scheme as a pilot venue. We warmly welcome ways in which as an industry we can work together to improve the experience of Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people when attending arts and cultural events in the UK. It is essential for us that as an arts organisation, a business, and a charity we strive to develop ways in which we can continually improve the experience of our audiences here at the Playhouse, making theatre accessible to all.”

Emily Simpson, Director of Audiences, Opera North said: “Opera North is delighted to be part of the All In pilot as we look to ensure that everyone attending our performances gets the best possible experience from the point of booking through to the visit itself.

“We strongly believe that the arts are for everyone which is why we have introduced more matinees, English subtitles at all operas, relaxed performances for people who prefer a less formal theatre environment, and sign-interpretation, audio description and touch tours on selected dates. By taking part in this pilot, we are looking forward to working collaboratively with other organisations, sharing data and insights to enhance this offer still further and to ensure that culture is genuinely open and welcoming to all.”

Andrew Miller MBE, UK Arts Access Champion for All In said: “The pilot marks a vital milestone in the development of All In. Now, we get to put into practise the findings from all of our extensive research, the input from our advisory groups, and the ongoing work of our suppliers. We welcome the commitment from Leeds Heritage Theatres, Leeds Museums and Galleries, Leeds Playhouse, and Opera North to removing barriers for disabled audiences by trialling and testing All In with us. These organisations will bring a wealth of valuable insight and feedback, and we look forward to working alongside them in the coming months.”

UK Arts Minister, Sir Chris Bryant said: “Our mission is to make sure that the arts and culture are for everyone and schemes such as All In, will be integral to achieving this.

“I commend the work of the UK and Ireland arts councils, and the organisations involved in Leeds and West Yorkshire to remove barriers for disabled people. I look forward to the findings from the pilot being used to help people access high quality arts and culture.”