Live audience accessibility and augmentation project – a case study into inclusive haptic futures for music festivals

Purpose This case study describes the Live Audience Accessibility and Augmentation (“LAAA”) project, which installed a haptic dance floor at Falmouth University. Design/methodology/approach LAAA was designed to deliver knowledge exchange, community engagement and research outputs pertaining to liveness and inclusivity at music festivals. A knowledge exchange through practice methodology was adopted to programme six LAAA events including live performances, in-conversation events, Disc Jockey (DJ) Workshops, a sound installation and an access workshop. Findings LAAA evidenced the potential for delivering knowledge, community and research outputs through the practice of creative programming, by producing live music performances and associated events. Findings evidenced 80% agreement that haptics provide authentic live experiences, inferring that using the BEAT BLOCKS floor and/or Woojer haptic vests may help mitigate exclusion at music festivals. Research limitations/implications Research limitations included a relatively small sample size, impacted by an unforeseen royal visit. Results were amalgamated with follow-on research to develop a liveness scale relating to information, communication technology (ICT) augmented performances (Bossey 2025). Practical implications LAAA enabled early-stage development of an evidence base that haptic ICT improves accessibility and positively influences audience intentions to attend music festivals. LAAA inspired follow-on field research projects and delivered practical knowledge exchange outcomes. Social implications LAAA delivered community engagement to two school groups, to address societal need pertaining to accessibility at music festivals for people who are d/deaf, disabled or neurodiverse. Originality/value LAAA represented an original intervention, to explore perceptions of liveness and potential for novel haptic ICT to improve accessibility for people who are d/deaf, disabled or neurodiverse.