Beyond Vision:
Black Country Women -
An Interactive Sound Journey
Beyond Vision: Black Country Women – An Interactive Sound Journey is an immersive experience where participants can walk through, up to, and look around the spatial sound of Warley Woods and hear stories of joy from women at Sandwell Visually Impaired, in a Meta Quest.
There are no visuals, illustrations, or graphics, and vision is restricted throughout. Participants are accompanied by a sighted companion at all times. This is an experience made in collaboration with visually impaired and blind women for sighted people.
It is created by Sarah-Ann Cromwell, built by John Thornewill in Boldr, with registered blind audio engineer, musician, and founder of Immersion Sound Studio Ltd, Freya Shaw.
Maps, Orientation,
Tactile
Beyond Vision:Black Country Women - An Interactive Sound Journey Stereo recording
Featuring Perm Bhachu
Legacy: Pre-Visit Access Information Beyond Vision: Black Country Women – A Journey Through Spatial Sound Pre-Visit Access Information Event Dates and Times Launch Evening Thursday 5th March, 6:00pm–9:00pm Booking advised. Community Participation Day Friday 6th March, 11:00am–4:00pm Drop-in welcome. Booking a time slot is recommended to avoid disappointment. Venue Address: 1000 Trades on the Park The Chance Room, Lightwoods House Adkins Lane Bearwood Smethwick B67 5DP Overview of the Space There are two rooms in use for this event. The Chance Room This room contains an exhibition with printed information boards about the project and participants. There may be people standing or moving around, and some may be holding drinks. Please note: On this occasion, the exhibition information is not available in braille or audio format. The Weatherhead Room (VR Experience Space) Beyond Vision takes place in the Weatherhead Room, with an adjoining door to the Chance Room. It is a listed Georgian room, rectangular in shape. The room measures approximately 4.5 metres by 5.5 metres. The ceiling height is between 3.5 and 4 metres. There is a standard door on the long interior back wall. There is a wheelchair-accessible door on the shorter left wall. There is a fireplace in the centre of the long back wall. Three large rectangular sash windows line the long front wall. During your VR experience: All doors will be closed. You will not be alone. You will have a sighted guide and at least one other member of the team present at all times. No other visitors will be in the room while you are in the VR headset. What the Experience Is About Beyond Vision is an immersive spatial sound experience inspired by Warley Woods. Participants physically walk through a sound world and listen to environmental woodland soundscapes alongside stories of joy from women of Sandwell Visually Impaired. You will hear: Natural woodland atmospheres Spatial environmental sounds Oral history recordings Reflections on joy and lived experience This is a calm, mindful journey through sound. About the VR Equipment This experience uses a Meta Quest headset. The headset: Is placed over your head. Covers your eyes completely. May allow you to see your feet slightly beneath the headset. Is worn together with sound-cancelling headphones. Covers your ears fully. Some participants may find the headset and headphones feel heavy. A sighted companion will assist you at all times. Travel and Arrival Parking There is a free car park next to Lightwoods House. Thursday Evening Entrance (Launch Night) Entrance is through 1000 Trades on the left side of the building. From the car park: With the car park entrance on your left, you will see a small brick archway on your right. Pleas ask the taxi to drop you at the archway. Walk through the archway onto the terrace. On your left are many wooden benches and tables. Walk forward for 7 metres. Turn left and walk for 9 metres. There is a gap between the tables and chairs leading to the doorway for 1000 Trades. Inside 1000 Trades: Walk forward through the bar towards the back door or ask a member of staff to escort you. There is a table on the right next to the door which slightly obstructs the doorway. This leads into a high hallway. There is a double glass door to the left and Lightwoods main entrance wooden door on the right. The Chance Room entrance is directly ahead and the door will be open. Friday Daytime Entrance The front door of Lightwoods House will be open. From the archway: Walk forward for 9 metres. Turn left and walk for 17 metres. On your left is a large round-headed doorway. This is Lightwoods house main entrance. Through the doorway is a double wooden door with glass windows. It is not automatic. Please push the door on the right. There is a step up through this doorway. The Chance room is the first room, directly on the right. Bus Routes Bus numbers: 11A, 11C, 126, 9, X10. If travelling from Birmingham, please be aware you will need to cross the Hagley Road, which is very busy. The pedestrian crossing does not have an audible signal and has a short crossing time.
E mail beyondvisionSAC@icloud.com
The Team
Sarah-Ann Cromwell
Creative Director & Project Lead
Sarah-Ann Cromwell works in spatial audio, immersive experience design, and accessibility, creating audio-led environments that improve access for visually impaired users and support mindfulness, learning, and inclusive engagement, she was awarded the WMCA Activate Skills Development Grant to undertake further study in Audio Description and blind gaming. She has 20+ years’ experience in creative education and performance coaching (PGCE), is an arts coordinator for Sandwell Visually Impaired and is an award-winning international operatic comedian and choir conductor.
Freya Shaw
Lead Interactive Designer & Audio Engineer (Immersion Sound)
Freya Shaw is a registered blind musician, sound designer, software developer, founder of Immersion Sound Studio Ltd, and developer of Hodr Engine a no-code development tool for visually impaired developers. She has shared her knowledge of accessible game development at many events including SLUSH, SpillKonventet, Electric Spring, and the Innovation Festival. Freya aims to inspire creators and players alike, and to prove you don't need sight to have vision.
John Thornewill
Technical Lead & Engine Architect (Red Nought)
John Thornewill of Red Nought has created games ranging from Ivor the Engine and the Clangers through to cutting edge full-motion VR simulator experiences and is building the underlying game-engine that allows visually impaired gamers to play complex games without assistance.
Black Country Women, Sandwell Visually Impaired
I am collecting stories of joy so Sandwell's great-granddaughters know that sight loss is not the end of fun, friendship, and hope. Would you share your stories with me?
What would you like Sandwell’s great-granddaughters, who are experiencing sight loss, to know?
Sandra Troth
My name is Sandra Troth I’m the development worker with the Sandwell visually impaired, SVI. I am about 5 foot two. I have blonde hair with some pink strands in it. I inhabit an older body but inside I’m 21 and I’m a white woman.
Sandra is a dedicated advocate for the visually impaired community in the Black Country. She has consulted extensively on accessible heritage, theatre projects, mental health and exercise accessibility for the community. As a strategic local voice, Sandra champions that the lived experience of blind and partially sighted people remains at the heart of both regional policy and the community arts.
Perm Bhachu
Hello, my name is Perm Bhachu. I am second generation Asian. I’m born and bred in Brum and moved to the Black Country when I got married. I am 5 foot four-ish, I have very long red hair to my waist. I have brown eyes and I have medium to lightish skin. I work for a local sight loss charity, helping people with complex needs and vision impairment. In my spare time, I am West midlands lead for Retina UK, I co-facilitate the women’s online group with my colleague and I am a patient volunteer at Aston University.
Perm is a leading disability advocate and media contributor for BBC and ITV News. Her work spans filming for the RNIB’s ‘See the Person’ campaign, to academic research partnerships with Loughborough University, focusing on accessibility and inclusion.
Sabah
My name is Sabah. I’m 26 years old. I have a degree in early childhood studies. I am 5 foot two in height and I wear a scarf and I’m British Pakistani.
Sabah is a Community Contributor, Lived Experience Advocate and an insightful voice in Sandwell’s young Visually Impaired community. She is a lead storyteller in the ‘Unseen Memories’ project funded by Creative Black Country and a featured voice in the podcast ‘Blathering with SVI’ by Black Country Touring. By sharing her stories, Sabah wants to increase public understanding and highlight the vital support networks available to those navigating their sight loss journey.