December Sensory Friendly Morning

To accommodate members of the public who can find contemporary art gallery visits sensorily overwhelming, Talbot Rice Gallery is hosting sensory-friendly mornings from 10am -12pm.

Each sensory friendly morning is designed in consultation with Ruth Lee, Inclusion, Accessibility & Wellbeing Specialist and Disability Advisor at the University of Edinburgh.

Our sessions aim to prioritise the sensory needs of autistic and other neurodivergent people, people with additional sensory support needs, and anyone who would prefer to experience the gallery in a more relaxed and comfortable environment.

What to expect during this session

White Gallery

• The lighting and sound will remain unchanged.
• Additional signage will be provided to help with orientation and to explain what to expect from certain artworks.

Side Gallery

• One of the artworks features two lights that switch on from off at one-minute intervals. To make this transition less stark, the gallery lighting will be slightly brighter.
• Sunglasses will be available outside the Side Gallery.
• Please be aware that this artwork also releases fog at different intervals, which some visitors may find sensory overwhelming.

Upper Gallery

• The lighting will remain dimmed.
• The sound, which is usually quite loud, will be turned down.

White Gallery Balcony

• The lighting and sound will remain unchanged, as this is already a softly lit and relatively quiet space.

Round Room

• The lighting will remain dimmed.
• The sound will be turned down.

Georgian Gallery Balcony

• The lighting and sound will remain unchanged.
• There are alcoves with cushions and low lighting where visitors can take a break.
• Additional sensory resources will be available.

Georgian Gallery

• The soft lighting and sound will remain unchanged.

People are welcome to attend with their families, friends and carers.

We recognise that stimming assists people in coping with overwhelming experiences and we welcome visitors to stim in our space.

People are welcome to rock, pace, and vocally express themselves around the gallery. We welcome people to bring and use their own stimming/fidget objects, and where available, to borrow ours.

Accessibility

At the desk you will find:

• A BSL (British Sign Language) introduction video to the Gallery.
• Cloakroom for coats, umbrellas, and large bags.
• Folding chairs to take around the gallery.
• Gallery wheelchair (available upon request).

On the accessibility wall directly next to the desk, you will find:

• Exhibition / large print guides.
• Transcription documents.
• Two Sensory Kits.
• A Sensory Map of the gallery.
• Fidget toys.
• Audio recordings of wall vinyl and label texts on a mp3 player.
• Ear defenders and ear plugs.
• Book lights.

Each sensory kit includes a stress ball, a pair of ear defenders, a traffic light fan, a soft toy with marble inside, a fidget toy, a magnifying glass torch, an eye mask, a dot-to-dot activity book and an emotion fan.

Additional resources to make your experience more comfortable:

• A is available to anticipate your travels to the gallery and your experience during the exhibition.
• A sensory map of the gallery is available, designed to highlight elements of the space which may impact your sensory experience of the gallery.
• Our staff and volunteers will be available for support if required.

We are dedicated to improving the experience for neurodivergent people experience in our galleries.

You can provide feedback directly to any member of staff during your visit, or get in touch with us via email us [email protected] or call us on 0131 650 2210.