What to expect if you have specific needs
Accessibility at TIC Events
The good news re: wheelchair accessibility
As of 2023, some of our workshops and performances are held in a wheelchair accessible venue.
Theory Bar is located on the ground floor of 19-23 Meyers Place and is wheelchair accessible, including an accessible toilet.
Wheelchair accessible performances
We currently hold one evening of shows per month at Theory Bar, typically on a Sunday evening. We typically begin with an accessible improv jam that is open to all, followed by a performance by one of our house teams.
While it hasn't come up yet, we are incredibly open to the idea of lengthening these evenings and adding performances by our student/independent teams who have friends and family who would like to see them perform in an accessible venue.
Please check our performance calendar for upcoming accessible show dates – they're usually clearly labelled as accessible events.
At the moment you can't filter the calendar by accessibility/venue, but we're working on it!Wheelchair accessible workshops
On our accessible performance Sundays, we typically run an accessible version of our improv free trial session in the afternoon.
We also hold some of our 8-week improv workshops at Theory Bar. These usually take place during the following time slots:
- Monday evenings, 6:30-9:30pm
- Tuesday evenings, 6:30-9:30pm
- Saturday early afternoons, 11:30am–2:30pm
Please check our workshop listings for availability.
At the moment you can't filter our course listings by accessibility/venue, but you can look for Theory Bar – Front Room as the listed venue. The front room should remain accessible, even for very large class sizes. The back room has less room to manuever, so you may wish to enquire about class sizes before booking – we can send you some photos of the space if you'd like.Wheelchair accessible student showcase performances
All of our 8-week improv classes conclude with a celebratory performance. These are typically held upstairs, but we will gladly schedule yours downstairs at Theory Bar if you have an accessibility requirement.
Please note – we have a standing policy of scheduling all accessible performances near the beginning of the day (Noon, 1:15pm, etc.), so we can convert the space back into a bar for post-show celebrationsThe bad news re: wheelchair accessibility
Limitations of taking classes at Theory Bar
As you may have gleaned from the information above, there is only one guaranteed accessible classroom for 8-week classes, and only one of its three available weekly time slots is during daylight hours.
This can limit the number of students with accessibility needs we can accommodate any any one time, especially as we offer different class levels. Due to these constraints, at this time we are only confident in our ability to offer our Improv Starter Track classes at Theory Bar – Starter 101, 201 and 301.
We ask our students to watch four improv shows at the theatre during their 8-week course, but with only one accessible performance per month, this can be difficult for students with accessibility needs to achieve. Whenever any student struggles to watch their four shows, for any reason, we are happy to relax the requirement and assign alternative viewing – typically online through Youtube or Netflix.
Our other venues
The majority of our other workshop and performance offerings are at our other two venues, which are worse for accessibility. We know and empathise with the fact that some students find it disappointing to hear from other students and community members about all of the shows and workshops they've been attending at the other venues.
The Improv Conspiracy Theatre is right above Theory Bar at Level 1, 19-23 Meyers Place, but is only accessible via a staircase, with further stairs up to the toilets.
Our Training Annex is inside of the Nicholas Building, at Room 502 / 37 Swanston Street. The venue itself is accessible via lifts, but the toilets in the building require the use of the stairs. Some impacted students have reported success using services like Travellers Aid to locate appropriate accessible toilets nearby.
Other accessibility concerns
For accessibility concerns relating to workshops, our Education Director is happy to devise modifications to our course curriculum to make it more inclusive for your specific requirements. If you'd like to discuss before booking, please email us. However, during the course checkout process you will be given an opportunity to let us know about any specific classroom needs you'd like to share.
For accessibility concerns relating to performances at our upstairs theatre, please email us and we will do our best to accommodate your needs. While our ticketing is general admission, we can generally help you liaise with our venue staff to arrange a specific type of seat for you – perhaps in the front row, or along an aisle.
