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Live subtitles for events

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Live subtitles for events

Founded in 2000, we are the UK’s leading provider of text based deaf access to arts and culture. Through high-quality live subtitling, we help venues create inclusive, welcoming experiences for deaf, deafened and hard of hearing audiences. 

Live subtitles (often called captions) provide real-time, verbatim text for both unscripted and scripted events. From discussion panels, Q&As and live comedy to award ceremonies, conferences and formal presentations, we ensure every spoken word is accessible. Whether it’s a guest lecturer at your museum, a curator leading a tour of a new exhibition, or a director in conversation at a film screening, we make sure audiences can fully engage.

We also support book festivals, author panels and online events delivered via Zoom, Facebook or other streaming platforms, providing seamless access both onsite and online.

Our clients range from national institutions to independent festivals, from the British Museum to the Edinburgh Book Festival and span conferences, festivals, museum tours and large-scale cultural events. This breadth of experience means we understand both the creative and practical demands of live events, and the importance of putting deaf audiences first.

We only use humans, not AI. Our highly trained speech-to-text reporters (STTRs) use specialist phonetic keyboards to deliver up to 300 words per minute with 99% accuracy. The result is subtitles so fast and precise that audiences are often amazed to learn they are produced live by expert professionals. Automated captions simply do not yet offer this level of accuracy, nuance or accessibility.

Every project is tailored to your venue and event. We ensure subtitles integrate seamlessly into your space and technical set-up, delivering the best possible experience for your audiences. Whether you’re hosting 100 people or 1,000, online or in person, we provide reliable, high-quality access services and act as a trusted partner in your accessibility journey.

Live subtitles also benefit a wide range of audiences beyond deaf and hard of hearing people. They support those who use English as an additional language, as well as neurodivergent audiences who find captions helpful for focus, clarity and comprehension.

If you’d like to discuss your options, please contact our Live Subtitling Manager, Courtney Rudge.

Contact Courtney

Our services

We offer four flexible levels of support for live subtitled events:

Depending on your needs, subtitles can be delivered online, displayed on screens as part of your onsite event, or accessed on handheld devices, ensuring the best possible experience for your audiences.

Full Live Subtitling Service – onsite

Stagetext provides a complete end-to-end live subtitling service with the speech-to-text-reporter (otherwise known as a palantypist or stenographer) working onsite for your event.

Our comprehensive service includes:

  • Expert consultancy and planning
  • Highly trained speech-to-text reporters
  • Dedicated technical staff
  • All required equipment
  • Full live caption management throughout the event
  • A complete transcript provided post-event

Your venue does not need to supply any additional resources, we manage everything.

Your event will also be promoted on our listings page, helping deaf, deafened and hard of hearing audiences easily find accessible performances and events.

Full Live Subtitling Service – online

We also deliver a fully managed remote service, with a speech-to-text reporter working offsite and connected via Zoom or another video platform.

This service includes:

  • Consultancy and event support
  • Professional speech-to-text reporters
  • Technical management
  • All necessary equipment
  • Live subtitle delivery for the full duration of your event
  • A full transcript provided afterwards

As with our onsite service, we handle the entire process so you can focus on delivering your event. Your accessible event will also be featured on our listings page.

Channel 4’s Paralympics Games press launch with a group of athletes and celebrities standing on a stage beneath a large screen with subtitles by Stagetext. Deaf actress Rose Ayling Ellis is on the far left, and comedian Adam Hills on the far right.
Will Johnston Photography 11th July 2024 – Channel 4 Paralympics Launch Event at The Electric Light Station, Shoreditch
Supported events (In-House Live Subtitles)

If you are delivering live subtitles in-house, whether for a museum tour, Q&A or panel discussion, we can help amplify your reach.

While we do not provide the live subtitling for these events, we support them by promoting them on our listings page, helping audiences discover accessible performances and cultural experiences.

List your event

Post production Subtitling

We offer professional post-production subtitling for pre-recorded content, including videos, webinars and promotional materials.

Adding high-quality subtitles makes your digital content accessible to:

  • Deaf, deafened and hard of hearing audiences
  • People who use English as an additional language
  • Neurodivergent audiences who benefit from captions for clarity and focus

Unlike auto-generated captions, our subtitles are carefully produced to meet accessibility standards and ensure accuracy, clarity and readability.

If you have digital content you would like to make accessible, please visit our Digital Subtitles page to find out more.

Ready to make a booking?
Use our booking enquiries form to request a quote and start planning your accessible event today.

Get A Quote

 

How it works

What’s the first step?

Get in touch with us as early as possible. We recommend securing your access provision before tickets go on sale and ideally at least three weeks ahead of your event, as speech-to-text reporters (STTRs) are in high demand.

Courtney, our Live Subtitling Manager, will be happy to discuss your event in detail. She can talk through your venue or platform, explore the available options and answer any questions about how live subtitling works in practice. From technical set-up to audience experience, she will guide you through the process and help you choose the most effective solution for your event.

Because we believe all events should be accessible, we’re proud to work with our delivery partner, MyClearText. MyClearText share our values for high quality access, they work with a wider pool of expert STTRs, and they also provide technical support for more complex events. When you come to make a booking, we may put you directly in contact with the MyClearText team.

How do we need to prepare?

Delivering accurate live subtitles requires extensive training, skill and preparation. We work exclusively with highly experienced speech-to-text reporters (STTRs) to ensure the highest possible quality.

In advance of your event, your allocated STTR will need preparation materials to help everything run smoothly. This includes details of any complex terminology, specialist language or difficult names that may be used. If presentations are part of the event, we ask to receive slides ahead of time so the reporter can familiarise themselves with the subject matter.

This information is programmed into the STTR’s specialist equipment in advance, significantly improving both speed and accuracy during the live event. If you are using slides, we recommend allowing space within your design for the subtitles to appear clearly.

We will also liaise closely with your technical team ahead of time to confirm audio feeds, equipment requirements and any platform integration. Once preparations are complete, our STTRs will manage the live subtitling with professionalism and precision, helping to ensure your accessible event runs smoothly from start to finish.

What will happen on the day?

We usually deliver live subtitles remotely, so we do not need to be physically present to make your event accessible to deaf, deafened or hard of hearing audiences.

Our speech-to-text reporters (STTRs) can work from almost anywhere in the world. As long as there is a strong internet connection and a clear audio feed, the experience is seamless. They follow the event in real time and send live subtitles directly to your chosen platform, whether that is an online stream, in-venue screens or handheld devices.

Remote working has become standard practice since the COVID-19 pandemic. It is ideal for online events and also enables access in a wide range of settings, including outdoor and remote locations.

This approach is cost-effective, environmentally sustainable and efficient. We can subtitle live events across the UK without travel or accommodation costs and without transporting equipment between venues, while still delivering the same high standard of accuracy and reliability.

 

What equipment do we need?

For online events, the requirements are simple. You will need a reliable internet connection and a clear, high-quality audio feed from your event.

For in-person events, you will also need screens or tablets to display the subtitles to your audience.

In the small number of cases where a speech-to-text reporter (STTR) works onsite, they will bring all necessary specialist equipment, including their phonetic keyboard and laptop. They will also provide any additional hardware required to output subtitles to your screens or tablets, ensuring a smooth and straightforward set-up.

Where can we reach the right audience?

We can help you connect with audiences looking for accessible events by promoting your event on our website, which features a comprehensive listings page of subtitled performances, talks and cultural experiences. Once your event is confirmed, we will add it to our listings free of charge.

We can also amplify your event through our newsletter and social media channels, helping you reach deaf, deafened and hard of hearing audiences directly.

Subtitles benefit a far wider audience than many organisations realise. Not everyone who uses subtitles books an access ticket or makes a request for access provision. Some people choose not to disclose that they are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing, while others use subtitles to support concentration, comprehension or literacy. For this reason, we recommend including information about live subtitles in all your event marketing and communications.

If you are delivering your own live subtitled event and would like it included in our listings, simply send us the details and we will share it on our website free of charge.

Ask us a question about live subtitles

If you have any questions about live subtitling, complete the enquiry form and our Live Subtitling Manager, Courtney Rudge, will be in touch to help.

Ready to make a booking?

Use our booking enquiries form to request a quote and start planning your accessible event.

Get A Quote

List your Event

If you are hosting a live subtitled event, you can promote it on our website free of charge. Send us the details using our event submission form and we will add it to our listings page.

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