In Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle), the Visibles collective organized its first inclusive cinema screening at the Caméo Saint-Sébastien, this June 14. By adapting the screening conditions to sensory sensitivities, the association wishes to make culture more accessible to neuroatypical people and promote inclusion open to all.
How can we make a cinema screening accessible to people for whom darkness, sound volume or waiting times can become a source of anxiety? In Nancy, the Visibles collective, created a few weeks ago, provides a first response. This Sunday, June 14, around fifty spectators took part in an inclusive cinema session organized at the Caméo Saint-Sébastien. For this first experience, the collective rethought several usual codes of cinema: no advertisements, no trailers, less loud sound and a slight light maintained in the room during the projection.
“It went really well. There were about 50 people, which is a lot according to the Caméo for a Sunday morning”rejoices Elsa Schwartz, founder of the association. The objective is not to create a separate session, but to allow everyone to find their place in a more welcoming environment. A “return to calm” room was also made available to spectators who felt the need. “Two people who found the film a little too long went out for a few minutes in this room. They were able to drink a glass of water, stretch their legs, then come back,” raconte Elsa Schwartz.Â
Behind the project, there is first and foremost a family story. “I have a little boy who has autism spectrum disorder, confie Elsa Schwartz. Inclusion issues have been at the heart of my life since my diagnosis”she adds. From this experience was born a conviction: despite the progress made in recent years, many obstacles persist in access to leisure, culture or social life.
“I realize that society evolves little by little, but it is never really enough. We need more associations to initiate real changes and create real bridges between the neuroatypical public and the rest of society,”insists the founder of Visibles.
This Sunday morning, the session was not only reserved for people affected by a disability or neurodevelopmental disorder. And the arrangements designed for some have also benefited others. Several spectators particularly highlighted the comfort brought by a less aggressive sound and by a room which was not plunged into complete darkness. A concrete illustration of what Visibles stands for: adaptations designed to meet specific needs but which often improve everyone’s experience.
The session organized this Sunday is only a first step for the Visibles association. A new screening, this time aimed at children, is already scheduled for next September. And the ambitions of the collective go far beyond the framework of cinema.
“We have a big urban development project, a sensory journey, in collaboration with Nancy town hall”, dévoile Elsa Schwartz. “We realized that the city and the play areas were not always suitable for children, particularly autistic ones”, ajoute-t-elle, bien déterminée à remédier à ce problème.
That’s not all. Visible will also create an inclusive café which will employ people with disabilities and offer facilities adapted to different sensory sensitivities. Just a few days after the opening of membership, the collective already has around thirty members and hopes to continue its momentum during its launch evening scheduled for June 30.
