Theatre audio description in Maltese : an empirical process-oriented study of an intersemiotic translation

Abstract

Audio description (AD) is an audiovisual translation mode that transfers the information gained through visual elements into a form of narration or description. The principal aim of AD is to make audiovisual media such as films, theatre performances, and various artefacts accessible to blind and partially sighted persons so they are able to enjoy and appreciate the visuals of art through audio. This practice-based study aims to explore the process behind the creation of the first audio description of a theatre performance in Maltese. In this research, an audio introduction and an audio description script of Euchar Gravina and Clare Azzopardi's opera for children Il-Qtates ta' max-Xatt is produced along with an amateur recording using VideoPad by NCH Software and Stellar by Yella Umbrella. This opera is based on Clare Azzopardi's children's book that was published in 2016. It was adapted into an opera that was produced by the national theatre company, Teatru Malta who is collaborating with the Department of Translation, Terminology and Interpreting Studies at the University of Malta for this study. The creation of the AD is mainly based on the ADLAB (2011-2014) (Audio Description – Lifelong Access for the Blind) guidelines and Louise Fryer's (2016) practical guide. This study details the strategies used by the researcher in tackling the challenges of this audiovisual translation in terms of the genre of opera and the young target audience.