I have had the pleasure of working with a broad range of clients, all striving to make sure that Access & Inclusivity Matters in their organisation. This is what some of them have said about a&im’s training and support:
Bristol Accessible Venues modular access programme – bespoke six part Everyday Access training
Abigail Hill, Venue Manager, Loco Klub (Bristol)
“Trish Hodson’s courses and sessions are extremely well thought-out and relevant to tackling access issues across all aspects of our industry. There is plenty of accessible information and a chance to apply it to your own particular situation and discuss with others in the sector, which is invaluable. All delivered with clarity and enthusiasm, I recommend it.”
Fairfield Halls, Croydon – a&im 1: Accessibility in Mind workshop
Kevin Quilty – Head of Marketing and Development:
“A great course, got me thinking about doing instead of saying things. How do we become a shining example of an accessible arts venue.”
Emily Collison – Ticketing and Sales Manager:
“A really comprehensive guide of how to tackle access within the venue, suggestions of how we approach the subject and lots of helpful resources.”
Workshop participants:
“Lots of food for thought. Really gets you thinking about how to implement improvements into our service.”
“Today was great. I learnt a lot of things I never knew, also our instructor was very patient and refreshing.”
“Lots of great information for the customer-facing team. From a Back of House perspective, it gave me a lot of things to consider with access performers going forward.”
Fairfield Halls, Croydon – a&im 2: Assisted Performances and Accessible Events
Julia Canavan, Marketing Manager:
“This was a really useful insight into accessibility for our venue. The detail in the course has made me more confident in dealing with future access performances as part of my job.”
Chantelle Williams, Marketing Manager:
“ Trish gave a thorough understanding of what good looks like for patrons with accessibility needs. The insight was much broader than I expected, so I really valued the time spent in the workshop. It was really useful when talking through past experiences and how we could have approached it differently. Thank you Trish.”
Matt Crawford, Technical Manager, Ashcroft Playhouse:
“Exceptionally well delivered… it gave me insight into aspects of access I may not have previously considered.”
Other participants:
“ Trish was very knowledgeable and gave a clear presentation. I feel I now have a deeper understanding of accessibility, which will be beneficial in my role at Fairfield Halls.”
“A very worthwhile and informative course. I gained a lot from participating.”
“Great training, really helps you understand the theory and application of having accessible performances. It’s inspiring to see how many ways there are to include people. I look forward to using […] at our venue.”
Fairfield Halls, Croydon – a&im 3: Customer Service Awareness and Everyday Access – visitor-facing staff
“An extremely useful and hands-on breakdown of how we can all be more aware and helpful to include everyone in our events and performances.”
“This was a really comprehensive guide that has inspired me to take further steps in my own understanding.”
“Thanks for the insight into access information – this will equip me with knowledge and knowhow re: equipment etc. when assisting patrons.”
“A fantastic insightful experience… thoroughly would recommend.”
“Fantastic insight into the world of accessibility. Also brought a lot of empathy to certain difficult real-life situations in the workplace.”
“I think Trish is so knowledgeable and makes everything clear and easy to understand. [The session] covers so many topics. I had vague knowledge and experience working in theatre inclusivity but I have a much broader understanding now – thank you!”
“I think it helps us to understand that not every disability is visible. My Mum became poorly and used a wheelchair in her last months and it was hard when she struggled with inclusivity. Spreading understanding and awareness is so important. Thank you for educating and inspiring.”
“Thank you for taking the time to show us this, and you were very helpful and open.”
“Thank you very much for this workshop. It is very useful for us to learn and gain more knowledge on Access and Inclusivity as it can help throughout your workplace, as well as throughout your everyday life.”
“Great, well thought- and planned-out PowerPoint and exercises, which is informative and yet effective”
“Thought it was a very comprehensible workshop”
“A great informative course”
“Great delivery – kept attention, nice and relaxed”
“A great session, I learned a lot more about accessibility and how to help everyone to have a great experience at the theatre.”
Incoming Festival at Tobacco Factory Theatres, Bristol – Introduction to Accessibility for emerging theatre makers:
Louise Parry, Deputy Box Office Manager Bristol Old Vic:
“Making theatre accessible can be a daunting task so having a workshop where you can break everything down and take one job at a time is really helpful.”
Darine Flanagan, Tangareen:
“Great summary to get my brain buzzing about ideas on how to make performances more accessible. I feel excited to try out some things.”
Gabi Spiro, Palomar Theatre Company:
“Trish’s workshop was clear and encouraging, giving great advice in an open and supportive way. I learnt a lot and hope I can start making my work more accessible. Thank you!”
Katie Anderson, Palomar Theatre Company:
“Trish offers a brilliant workshop that tackles an intimidating topic with clarity and understanding. Thank you!”
Rachel Eames, Palomar Theatre Company:
“Really informative base/entry level information and easy to understand definitions and discussions around terminology. Thanks! Very helpful for a beginner!”
other workshop participants:
“Great clear, well evidence information delivered by a hugely experience accessibility guru. Recommended.”
“Great starting point in our journey to becoming a more accessible organisation. I learned a lot!”
“A great overview of Access and Inclusivity which will help inform how we can remove barriers and make our exhibitions and events accessible to all. Some great stats on the numbers and explanation of why we’re doing this!”
“Covered a wide range, about a difficult subject, as it is still growing. Helpful information to help, and needed, in advertising.”
The Theatre Chipping Norton, bespoke a&im 1 workshop, and Front of House customer awareness sessions:
Vanessa Managhan, Take Part Co-Director, The Theatre Chipping Norton:
“A very informative session helping us to assess our venue, its facilities, the way we operate and service we offer and how we may be able to make improvements to make our venue more accessible for all.”
Glenn Wheeler, The Theatre Chipping Norton:
“A great insight into access and inclusivity. An enjoyable and open session. Trish was really knowledgeable and it was great she could relate to the industry.”
Richard Willoughby, Oxford Playhouse:
“A nice informative course”
other workshop participants:
“Great use of examples and sharing experience. Really helpful having instances to relate to.”
“The course gave us time to think and understand access issues and provided a lot of information to improve our own access. Also gave us confidence to go away and make the relevant changes and improvements. Gave us confidence to provide information with the rest of the team in dealing with Access.”
“A very useful workshop that can open your eyes to access for all customers. Gives a lot of food for thought and ideas to improve.”
The Egg Theatre, Bath, bespoke front of house and assisted performances workshop:
Jenny Crowell, Marketing and Access Officer, the Egg Theatre Bath:
“I can’t praise Trish highly enough for the level of professionalism and detail that went into our bespoke training day. All staff members in attendance came away feeling excited about what they had learnt and at the prospects of enhancing what we can do within our theatre for our access patrons based on what they had learnt. Thank you Trish!”
a&im 1 Accessibility in Mind workshops, Singapore:
Paul Adams, Learning and Engagement Manager, Singapore Repertory Theatre:
“I couldn’t recommend Trish Hodson more highly. My role was to bring Trish to Singapore to share best practise in Access, delivered to arts organisations and professionals. From the initial email to project conclusion, Trish communicated effectively with prompt & detailed responses to my questions. When it came to the content of the workshops, she didn’t disappoint, creating a programme that flowed well, filled with detailed information delivered in a calm and welcoming manner. The workbook Trish created supported the training perfectly and Trish went the extra mile to contextualise the content both in terms of industry and local policy and statistics for Singapore. The trainees expressed excellent feedback and thanks to Trish, the Access agenda is moving in the right direction for Singapore Arts Industry.”
Other Singapore workshop participants, including among others: the National Gallery; Access Path Productions; The Storytelling Centre; Marina Bay Sands; The Theatre Practice; Story Connection Ltd; Singapore Art Museum; Republic Polytechnic; and ArtScience Museum:
“The workshop and resources are great, feels like I’m equipped to take the next steps to increase accessibility.”
“This is a great workshop for any venue operators, arts practitioner and administrator as it helps build confidence for anyone looking to enhance accessibility in their venues.”
“Quick wins- very helpful, low-costs measures which can be implemented immediately. Does not require a permanent irreversible change. Easy to adapt for most venues!”
“Everyone who believes in walking the “inclusion & diversity” talk needs to attend this workshop by the fantastic Trish Hodson and apply what they have learnt.”
“Trish was not only incredibly knowledgeable about inclusivity, she also fostered a welcoming and warm environment where we could all learn from each other’s experience.”
“Trish’s “Quickfix” solutions were amazing – things that we can immediately implement, which don’t cost us much $, but make a difference in increasing the accessibility of our events. I learnt so much and this was super helpful as a starting point for someone previously clueless.”
“A comprehensive, intensive, nuts and bolts introduction to making your venue/event more effectively accessible.”
“Extremely useful and eye-opening!”
“Comprehensive, Enlightening and Engaging. Very glad I participated.”
“This workshop gives a good overall view of what and how access tools can be incorporated into current work practices”
“A great introduction to making the arts accessible with practical tips that can be applied immediately.”
“Rich, informative and fun!”
“Trish is a delight to learn from! Chock-full of facts and examples, but also very aware of different learning styles of her participants! Thank you!”
Independent restaurant chain, bespoke a&im 1 Accessibility in Mind workshops:
“Thank you very much! It was a pleasure to be on this course.”
“Amazing training.”
“I thought it was an excellent course, very useful. I learned many things that I was not aware of.”
a&im 1 bespoke Everyday Access Solutions workshop, The Southville Centre:
Eliza Squire, Assistant Centre Director Totleigh Barton / Arvon:
“A brilliantly useful day focusing on access and inclusivity with like-minded organisations. Trish expertly led us through legislation, practical advice and solutions and was encouraging at all times. I leave brimming with ideas and with the confidence to implement changes”
Ben Rowe, Facilities Manager, Royal West of England Academy:
“Very useful training day and great to have the workbook to refer back to and share between my colleagues”
Magdalena Byczek, Front of House Manager, Royal West of England Academy:
“Great training session to both remind you about everything you already know, and to learn an awful lot of new information about accessibility”
Lisa Caradine, Building and Operations Manager, BS3 Community Development:
“Really informative workshop, anyone with responsibility for their premises, events etc. should attend!”
Sarah Schmitz, Facilities Coordinator, Tyntesfield National Trust:
“[Trish was] friendly, very well informed [and the workbook is] a great takeaway resource. I especially appreciated the local connections to museums etc. with examples of good practice.”
a&im 1 bespoke Everyday Access Solutions workshop, Bristol Folk House:
Ellie Little, Programming and Tutor Management:
“Really valuable and useful training to ensure a future where all needs are considered and supported in our social spaces.”
a&im 1 bespoke Everyday Access Solutions workshop, Malcolm X Community Centre
Adam Green, Operations Manager, Spike Island:
“Trish delivered an interesting and engaging session, outlining the challenges organisations face in meeting the needs of customers with disabilities, providing cost-effective, realistic solutions to everyday problems which are often overlooked. Very thought-provoking.”
Workshop participant:
“Thank you for all the information from today. Left feeling we could make some really simple yet effective changes going forward. Great to assess what we already do well. The additional resources and suggestions will also be really useful in going forward with a plan or making improvements and the workbook will be a great resource to keep and use to train others.”
Ella Charles, General Manager, Bristol Folk House:
“I didn’t know what to expect. Thought I would feel out of my depth, but the training was very easy to follow, clear and I felt like everyone was in the same boat. Cannot recommend it enough.”
Michele Tedder, Director, Tango West Redland Club:
“I found the workshop very informative and illuminating. Running a small community centre I realise there is a lot to do to make it more inclusive and accessible. However, I feel more confident with a new level of awareness about the issues. As ever, it will be a question of prioritising what can be done and when.”
a&im 1 Accessibility in Mind workshop
Workshop participant, St Georges, Bristol:
“Engaging, informative and relevant workshop that has made me feel empowered to improve and share the knowledge at my venue. Thank you so much!”
Workshop participant, Watershed, Bristol:
“Enjoyable and informative. Came away with lots of new thoughts about access requirements.”
Workshop participants, Bristol Old Vic:
“Trish was very knowledgeable and friendly. All her training was up to date and on point”
“This workshop was interactive, informative and challenging. I look forward to applying this in the future!”
Workshop participant, Colston Hall, Bristol:
“Very interesting, covering a large area of information.”
Workshop participant, Bristol Hippodrome:
“It is hard to find anyone with such professionalism and passion for access and inclusivity as Trish. If you are looking to improve your service and knowledge, look no further than Access and Inclusivity Matters.”
Workshop participant, Arnolfini, Bristol:
“This workshop highlighted things I should be thinking about and offered practical guidance on how to improve my own personal approach to access and inclusivity, and that of my venue. It was positive and encouraging, with great resources.”
Workshop participant, St Georges, Bristol:
“A very interesting and informative workshop. Trish was very engaging and clearly knows her stuff!”
Workshop participants:
“The trainer’s approach was very inclusive and encouraged participation. A positive response was given to all comments made. A lot of time, research and industry experience were evidenced in the material provided, along with a passion for the subject.”
“Excellent quality workshop, covering a strong breadth of accessibility areas with proactive, practical solutions with space for discussion. Experienced and effective trainer.”
“An invaluable day learning more about an area I thought I already knew quite a lot about! It really made me think twice reading some of the facts and statistics. It also has motivated me to go back to my workplace with a new eye to how we operate.”