Where We Meet

Accessibility information

This page outlines the access information related to the performances of Where We Meet.

  • The next performances of Where We Meet will take place at The Cockpit - Gateforth Street, London NW8 8EH (see map).

    Closest stations are Edgware Road and Marylebone.

    A 360 Virtual tour of the premises is available here.

    Please find the information on how to prepare your visit on The Cockpit’s website.

  • Mobility advice for Where We Meet will depend on your ticket type.

    Active Participant:

    • The floor is completely clear (no set, objects, steps, trip hazards, etc)

    • The interactive system works with different heights, including participants using a wheelchair

    • The interactive system will encourage participants to roam around the space and get close to a chosen character. Please note that it may require standing for up to 30 minutes if you are not a wheelchair user.

    Seated Observer:

    • The performance takes place in the round with one row of seats spread around the space.

    • A dedicated space will be reserved for wheelchair users.

    Venue Access:

    There is level access to the foyer, bar and foyer toilets. There are 6 steps from the foyer to the auditorium. Access for wheelchair users will be made possible through the car park and rear entrance. Please arrive early so we can make sure you are comfortable before we let other audience members in.

    Please note that The Cockpit theatre can only welcome four wheelchair users at any one time on the premises. Please let us know you are coming (0207 258 2925 or email reception@thecockpit.org.uk

  • Where We Meet heavily relies on the stories communicated through the monologues of each character. A few things to note before joining:

    • The piece is not currently captioned (we’re working on it!)

    • We are exploring how our interactive system can be interfaced with various assistive devices. Please get in touch through the form below with information about your devices so we can research how to link those up ahead of time.

    • Please note that the 4.30 pm performance on Saturday 1st of March at The Cockpit theatre will be BSL interpreted.

    Please see detailed information for D/deaf and hard-of-hearing participants in this document.

  • Where We Meet heavily relies on the stories communicated through the monologues of each character. We haven’t yet found solutions to provide audio descriptions for the work that wouldn’t clash with the constant audio already playing. We hope to explore this in the future.

    A few things to note before joining:

    • The space is fairly dark and you might need to navigate around other audience members in low light.

    • The floor is clear and doesn’t present any trip hazards

    • Seated observers will interact with the show through a tablet. Due to the nature of the interactive system, participants will need to move a cursor on-screen to access the various stories.

    • Active participants are encouraged to roam around the room and get close to their chosen characters to access their inner monologues. We would recommend blind participants to be accompanied by a carer in order to navigate the space during the performance.

  • A few sensory elements to note:

    • The space is fairly dark during the performance

    • The interactive system involves over-ear headphones needed for the duration of the performance (30 minutes)

    • Participants might find themselves in close proximity to each other, but can step further at any point

    • Active Participants might be invited to interact with performers, but none are mandatory

    Please find detailed sensory information and a visual story in this document.

  • Content

    The performance covers topics of mental health challenges, especially around body dismorphia, perfectionism and anxiety that some audience members might find distressing.

    Age guidance

    This performance is recommended for ages 14+. This age guidance is a recommendation based on the topics covered during the performance and the nature of the interactive performance that requires a certain level of maturity in the space. But we are happy to leave it to the discretion of the parents. Please note that our headphones are sized for an adult head and might feel uncomfortable for smaller heads.

A note on our research process

Where We Meet is an innovative and immersive experience that introduces new modalities of interactions that breaks the status quo of access recommendations in the theatre world. We are very aware that the current version of the show presents barriers for certain users and we are on a journey to make the show more accessible.

We have just been awarded some Arts Council England funding to research specific accessibility requirements and new solutions - this being the integration of assistive technology or adapting the current format of the show.

As part of our process, supported by a team of access consultants, we are inviting disabled participants to take part of a series of explorations and co-creation sessions to define what would work best for them and the project. The information on this page are living documents, and will reflect the current state of our research and the evolution of the project.

We are considering this phase, and the shared documents, as a conversation starter. If you need information that we have not yet covered or if you would like to share some feedback, please get in touch through the form below.

If you need any additional information or would like to offer some feedback on the information above, please get in touch.