Dear Bristol Improv Theatre team and trustees,

We, the undersigned, are writing to call on the BIT to prioritise making the theatre accessible to Disabled people.

For the last two and half years, the theatre has had a Disability Access Working Group. To the theatre's credit, the theatre has made some minor changes to the building and delivered one training session to instructors over this period. However, the theatre has failed to make the accessibility features that would enable all Disabled people to enter the building, access its offerings, and feel a welcome part of the community.

Currently it is impossible to enter the theatre for many Disabled people due to its lack of step free access or functioning accessible toilet. There are also Disabled people who engage with the theatre but find that its inaccessibility creates unnecessary struggles. This means that many potential audience members, students and performers cannot engage with the space. We also know of at least one example of a Disabled person who has felt actively excluded from the community because they can't enter the building and are extremely hurt by this.

We understand that improving the accessibility of old buildings takes time, funding and effort. However, there is the possibility of creating an accessible entrance through the back and several viable grants for this work have been shared with the theatre. Furthermore, in 2024, the fundraiser to save the theatre explicitly stated that funding over the target would be used to improve accessibility of the theatre for Disabled people. An extra £5000 was raised for this work but none of the money has been used towards accessibility or supporting Disabled people. This is a failure in transparency over the use of people’s valuable money. The theatre’s latest fundraiser asked for funding to support excluded and marginalised communities but dropped any mention of Disabled people as a community it wished to support.

The Bristol Improv Theatre states on its website that “We recognise that diversity is our strength, and pride ourselves on being a welcoming, inclusive and safe space. We maintain a diverse and accepting environment for people of all regardless of… disability”. We don’t doubt that the theatre would like to think of itself as inclusive to Disabled people, but there comes a point where repeated lack of action emphasises that the theatre doesn’t consider Disabled people a priority or a group it is obliged to include. We sincerely believe in the potential of the theatre to be truly welcoming and inclusive to all but this takes concrete action. We call on you to prioritise putting in step-free access and an accessible toilet, and to commit to a meaningful journey of further accessibility improvements.

Sincerely signed,