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IN TOUCH 鈥� Elections Bill - The Final Decision; Accessible Opera

TX:听 26.04.2022听 2040-2100

PRESENTER:听 听听听听听听听听 PETER WHITE

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PRODUCER:听 听听听听听听听听听 BETH HEMMINGS

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Music

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White

Good evening.听 Tonight, an epic tale set over 200 years ago and now set to music.

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Music

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Clip

What I loved about Theresia is that she was a superstar but she also had a life and it wasn鈥檛 like 鈥� oh she鈥檚 blind 鈥� and 鈥� good for her she鈥檚 so clever.听 It was 鈥� oh my god, she鈥檚 having affairs all over Europe and having a good time.

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White

Well, we鈥檒l hear more about this now largely forgotten blind composer and the opera her life has inspired a little later on in the programme.

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But first, a political epic fought out much closer to home and nearing a conclusion that many think brings the right of visually impaired people to vote secretly and independently much closer.

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It all began when a high court judge told the government that the current arrangements for how blind people cast their votes were unlawful and, I quote: 鈥溾��a parody of the electoral process鈥�.听 Well, after a damning indictment like that, it seemed only a matter of time before the system would be reformed.听 And indeed, talks were taking place between the cabinet office and the RNIB, which, as we reported on this programme, appeared to be extremely positive.听 A number of schemes to aid secret and independent voting for blind people were being tried out, including the use of a tactile device paired with an audio system in polling stations.听

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Mike Wordingham, of the RNIB, described, on In Touch, how these would work.

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Wordingham

Okay, I鈥檓 in the polling booth, I鈥檝e been given a TVD over the ballot paper and this audio device to read it out.

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Audio device

Start.听 Election of police and crime commissioner for Norfolk police area.听 There are five candidates.听 Vote once in column one for your first choice and vote once in column two for your second choice.听 Candidate one 鈥� Crofts, John Peter.

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Wordingham

So, I can either listen on the speaker or I can put some headphones in for a little bit more privacy.听 Okay, now, I can hear on the headphones the device telling me the names of the candidates in the order they鈥檙e on the ballot paper.听 And I can listen through a few times without someone standing over me and reading it out.

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White

So, when a new elections bill was brought before parliament, which seemed to contain no specific guarantees of voting methods that would ensure secrecy or independence and instead relied on the individual judgement of returning officers, a vigorous campaign was mounted both by lobbying from outside and a series of amendments inside parliament to strengthen the bill.

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Well, the battle was fought largely in the House of Lords and it was during the second reading of the elections bill, earlier this month, that the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office, Lord True, indicated that many of the campaigners鈥� points had been accepted by the government.

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Lord True 鈥� statement

We鈥檝e been clear from the outset the government鈥檚 intention with these changes is to improve the accessibility of elections and Lord Holmes, I think, understood our policy intentions and the noble lord, Lord Blunkett, and has introduced welcome changes that complement them and improve them.

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White

Well, the noble peer leading the charge on this campaign has been the visually impaired Lord Holmes.听 Chris Holmes, just remind us, why was this all necessary, I mean there seemed to be such a gap between the positive conversations that were going on with government and the bill that finally came before parliament, what went on?

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Holmes

I鈥檝e no idea really what went on before the bill but when we had sight of the bill, it was clear that it didn鈥檛 give the necessary protections and independence to blind, visually impaired and, indeed, all voters to be able to cast their vote independently and in secret.

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White

And what was the main concern about what was going to be the effect of the original bill, I mean what was missing?

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Holmes

My main concern was that the bill, as drafted, could/would have led to a postcode lottery or a returning officer lottery, if you will.听 So, in certain parts of the country blind and visually impaired voters may have got the equipment they required to be able to vote independently in secret, in other parts of the country they may not.

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White

And just remind us, I mean what are the key changes you have made?

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Holmes

The key change is that now on the face of the bill, in law, equipment needs to be provided to enable or make it easier for people to vote independently and in secret.听 And that鈥檚 then backed up with statutory guidance, for the first time the Electoral Commission have to produce statutory guidance.听 Again, by law, they have to consult with relevant bodies.听 And the final piece of it, there鈥檚 a have regard duty for returning officers.听 What that means is there鈥檚 a very high level of responsibility for returning officers to do what鈥檚 required to enable that independent, that vote, in secret for all voters.

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White

Because, of course, you never know what technology is going to come up with, so I guess that鈥檚 why you don鈥檛 want to be too specific.听 Now there鈥檚 every hope, obviously, that these amendments will bring about positive change but some people are still concerned about whether they鈥檝e gone far enough.听 Lord True again.

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Lord True 鈥� statement

I recently met, as I said, with the RNIB and I鈥檝e heard their concerns, which are echoed by the noble Baroness, Baroness Lister, including risks over the guidance would not be as strong as statute and might represent the end of the conversation on accessibility that may not have disabled voters at its centre.听 I can only say that conversation will continue and that is why the amendments will, in fact, require the Electoral Commission to consult with relevant organisations such as the RNIB and other disability charities in the production of the guidance and also, require the commission to report on the steps that returning officers have taken to assist disabled voters.听 And this will promote accountability in the policy.

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White

Do you think there is enough accountability in this, Chris?

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Holmes

I think so.听 The guidance is but one part of it.听 The statutory guidance which comes behind that is important and also there鈥檚 a statutory requirement for the Electoral Commission to produce a report after each election to say what steps have been taken to ensure that independence, that in secret vote.听 So, taken together, I think it provides independence, the right to a secret vote for blind and visually impaired people and it does enable a variety of solutions to be brought to bear here.听 As you rightly say, Peter, technology changes at a pace and it鈥檚 about having that high standard around the test rather than a specific piece of equipment.听 It鈥檚 now absolutely the case that we would want to see government, cabinet office, the Electoral Commission, returning officers and indeed all of civil society coming together to take what鈥檚 been now set out in statute and make a success for inclusive voting for every citizen right across the UK.

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White

Right, it鈥檚 been a long old fight, when will it get the Royal assent?

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Holmes

Royal assent likely end this week, potentially just slightly into next week.

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White

Lord Holmes, Chris Holmes, thank you very much indeed.

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Well, that was a political soap opera, now to a real one.

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Music

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This story has so many elements I鈥檓 not quite sure where to begin.听 It鈥檚 about a now almost forgotten 18th century blind woman composer with, shall we say, a colourful private life, whose memory is now being revived by the Graeae theatre company, with its production of an opera about her life, which is currently on tour, and that opera 鈥� The Paradis Files 鈥� has been written, cast and performed with the idea of disability access at its heart.

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Let鈥檚 start with the opera鈥檚 heroine Maria Theresia von Paradis.听 Well, joining me is Selina Mills, who co-wrote the libretto for the opera.听 Selina, you鈥檝e been bending my ear about Maria Theresia for years, who was she and what was her story?

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Mills

So, she was called Maria Theresia von Paradis and she鈥檚 born in 1759, she dies in 1824 and she鈥檚 the most amazing composer, musician, inventor and then in her private life quite busy with some gentlemen in the court.听 And she鈥檚 also somebody who was incredibly famous in her own day but somehow slipped away.听 And we just fell in love with her, we just thought she was fantastic and she needed a platform.

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White

So, she was well-known, she spent a lot of time in Austria, I think.听 Was she really Mozart鈥檚 lover, do we know?

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Mills

So, we don鈥檛 have actual evidence.听 What we have is letters from Mozart to his sister, Nannerl, and saying 鈥� I鈥檓 seeing my little Schatz 鈥� which is my little darling.听 So, we know that they were close and intimate, we took some definite 鈥� some artistic licence and ran with it but we just don鈥檛 know.听 But we know that they were very good friends.听 And he composed for her.

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Music

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White

So, why do you think she鈥檚 been forgotten?

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Mills

Well, I think there are sort of three reasons.听 One is that women, in the 18th century, mostly wrote music for the domestic 鈥� so at home, be it in a private salon 鈥� but it wasn鈥檛 widely in the court.听 Secondly, she was blind.听 In history, blind people don鈥檛 really get much of a say about their history because they鈥檙e not writing and they鈥檙e not reading, until braille comes along.听 And thirdly, she鈥檚 a woman.听 So, a lot of women have been part left on the hillside of history, even though, at the time, she was constantly in the press, that鈥檚 where a lot of our information comes from, press coverage and also, very widely respected by musical contemporaries.

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White

Now let me bring in Bethan Langford, already the winner of several awards, she鈥檚 singing the part of Maria Theresia von Paradis.听 Tell me more about the elements of the opera which make it particularly accessible to disabled people.听 I mean you all introduce yourselves to the audience on stage, don鈥檛 you?

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Langford

We do.听 So, this is, again I鈥檝e never done this in an opera I鈥檝e done in the past, we walk onto stage and the first thing we do is speak to the audience and that doesn鈥檛 really happen, we sing always.听 So, we walk on and we all describe the set and we describe what we鈥檙e wearing, we describe what we look like.

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Clip 鈥� The Paradis Files

Langford

Hello, I鈥檓 Bethan, I鈥檓 tall like Ben.听 I have a brunette bob and a fringe.听 I鈥檓 visually impaired and a little bit clumsy.听 I鈥檓 standing here in the other gilded frame with red velvet curtains on either side.听 [Indistinct words] for me too.听 So, here is my sapphire gown and I have a matching cape, both of them are embossed with hand embroidered flowers and I have red cuffs with long bows.听 And when I put this costume on, I become Theresia von Paradis, the blind enchantress.听 I鈥檒l just go and get ready.

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Langford

We actually got to write our own audio description, in our own words, which was quite freeing and quite nice to be able to do that.听 And so, the audience, then, be it in whatever disability or whatever capacity they need can access the opera before we start singing and they understand what they鈥檙e viewing.

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White

Now I would guess, correct me if I鈥檓 wrong, that this is the first time that you鈥檝e ever played a character who is visually impaired.听 I mean did you find that liberating or was it a bit odd?

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Langford

Yeah, it鈥檚 so funny because I鈥檓 visually impaired, so I do have some useful sight.听 All of my operatic career, I鈥檝e almost had to kind of fake being sighted and all the roles I鈥檝e play I play sighted people, so I generally have to make sure that I know my set and I know my blocking very well, so I don鈥檛 ever show that I can鈥檛 see anything.听 Whereas in this, Jenny, the director, said 鈥� Bethan, we know you鈥檙e not sighted, if you need guiding around the stage, if you need to feel for a chair, if you need to stop for a minute and get some help you can.听 Which for me was 鈥� oh it was incredible.听 But it also felt, at the beginning, quite difficult and quite challenging for me because I鈥檓 so used to pretending that I鈥檓 fine.听 But also, the other interesting thing is, is that Theresia we know as blind and I鈥檓 not fully blind, so I also was a bit worried about the kind of moral challenge of do I play a fully blind person, you know, and Jenny said 鈥� No, Bethan, you play what you can see, you鈥檙e visually impaired, you tell the audience, at the beginning, that鈥檚 what you are and you play your experience.听 Which has been so freeing, I can鈥檛 describe.

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White

And there are a lot of other recognisable dilemmas for visually impaired people in the plot, aren鈥檛 there, such as the search for a cure for Maria Theresia?

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Langford

Yes, yes, that was a particularly challenging scene where her mother and father take Theresia to various different doctors to try and cure her.

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Music

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She goes through a process of having her eyes lit with electricity and banded and all these awful experiences that must have left her very traumatised.

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Music

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And she says 鈥� I don鈥檛 want a cure, I never asked for this.听 And that particularly resonates with me because our identity is found within our disability and it鈥檚 often from people who are able-bodied and fully sighted who think that we need to live up to their standards of their living.听 And, in fact, we鈥檙e perfectly happy in our world, you know.听 So, even when I was a child, I had some kind of treatments to try and make my eyes work and it still affects me today, thinking about it, really.

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White

And that鈥檚 a pretty harrowing part of the performance I believe.

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Langford

It is, yeah, I kind of end up on the floor screaming at everyone.听 But it鈥檚 also 鈥� after this scene happens, I stand up and I say 鈥� you think you know me but I know who I am and I鈥檓 happy with who I am and I don鈥檛 need this from you.听 And it鈥檚 quite an empowering moment actually, it turns into a positive despite all the kind of trauma that she goes through.

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White

Just one more thing 鈥� how well do you think visually impaired people can get a full sense of opera?听 I mean, clearly, we can enjoy the music but so much of it is about visual scene setting.听 I mean you obviously have because you鈥檙e making a career out of it.

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Langford

I mean I 鈥� I experience it on the stage and I鈥檓 surrounded by it and I know I have that joy of being able to touch the set and touch the costumes but as an audience member I do struggle.听 I particularly find it hard when you鈥檙e watching something and everyone around you is laughing at something that they can see and you can鈥檛.听 And that鈥檚 why it鈥檚 so brilliant that all of the audio description within the piece is within the libretto and it鈥檚 within the story.听 So, you don鈥檛 have to sit with a headphone in and you don鈥檛 have to miss the comedy or the tragedy because it鈥檚 all written in the script and that鈥檚 something that is, again, completely unique to this piece.

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Music

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White

And Selina, I know this is something that鈥檚 very dear to your heart, has it come off do you think?

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Mills

I actually 鈥� I came out of the previews, I did cry, it was very 鈥� because it was just so moving.听 And also, it made me understand that opera can be different, however much we all try very hard to make it accessible and inclusive, it鈥檚 a really difficult form to share.听 And Jenny and Graeae did it just so well.听 You鈥檒l get something from it, you might not get the whole thing, so like for the deaf community there鈥檚 subtitles and signing and for the blind community there鈥檚 audio description from the gossips 鈥� there are these gossips who go in and start telling you what鈥檚 going on.听 And I didn鈥檛 ever imagine that what I wrote on the back of a napkin, as soon as I started, would come out of Bethan鈥檚 mouth, it鈥檚 quite mind blowing actually.

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White

And do you think there are some more visually impaired unknowns just waiting to have their reputations exhumed?

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Mills

Oh yeah, particularly women.听 Again, you don鈥檛 want to go into the inspiration versus burden, like the superstars.听 I think what I loved about Theresia is that she was a superstar but she also had a life and it wasn鈥檛 like 鈥� oh, she鈥檚 blind 鈥� and 鈥� good for her, she鈥檚 so clever 鈥� it was 鈥� oh my god, she鈥檚 having affairs all over Europe and having a good time and also, going through mother trauma or whatever it is.听 So, I sort of know, for sure, there are some women out there on the hillsides of history, we just haven鈥檛 found them yet.

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White

Selina Mills, Bethan Langford, thank you both very much indeed.

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Music

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Well, The Paradis Files is currently making its way around the UK and it鈥檒l be in Perth this coming Thursday and Friday and then on to Cardiff and Sheffield.听 Enjoy, if you can get there.

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And that鈥檚 it for today.听 You can email us intouch@bbc.co.uk, you can leave your voicemails on 0161 8361338 or go to our website bbc.co.uk/intouch.听 From me, Peter White, producer Beth Hemmings and studio managers Chris Hardman and Tom Parnell, goodbye.

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Music and applause