Accessing Handsworth Songs: a conversation on Audio Description

Elaine Lillian Joseph spent 2021 working on the audio description for Black Audio Film Collective’s seminal 1986 film Handsworth Songs. Commissioned by Dr Sarah Hayden of Voices in the Gallery, the project involved making the film more, and differently, accessible through audio description and creative captions. Elaine will walk us through the research, scripting and recording process, offering some insights into her practice. The session will also include extracts from slow emergency siren, ongoing, the publication which makes the captions and audio description available as texts that can be read or heard as well as a short taster of her approaches to two of the most challenging scenes in the film.

Elaine Lillian Joseph is an afro-caribbean audio describer from Birmingham, England. She is the founder of SoundScribe, a collective of global majority audio describers who specialise in dance and experimental moving image. Over the years she has worked on terrestrial TV, cinema, live queer cabarets, and gallery exhibitions.

Access Notes: This event will include ASL interpretation and CART captions and will incorporate visual descriptions. The film is audio described and includes open captions. Attendees are welcome to join in person or via zoom. If you have additional access needs or concerns please email cripaccess@illinois.edu.