Talk Description to Me

18/12/2024

JJ and I are tickled to once again be part of the Vocal Eye families holiday almost live event. It's always such a treat to chat with Amy, and this year will overflow with fun and creative content. I can also say that JJ and I will be debuting a story collaboration that has been absorbing my creative energy, and which I'm so excited to share. Hope you can join. 

VocalEye's festive year-end celebration with pals Christine Malec and JJ Hunt!

30/10/2024

I've been working on this project over the summer. It's description rich, designed with a Blind and Low Vision audience in mind. This is the final episode of the limited podcast series telling the story of a community garden and describing an urban park, along with my colleagues in the Described Toronto Collective, Rebecca Singh and Kaity Sanders. Check it out!

Hopewell Garden Audio Story Part 5
In this final episode of the Hopewell Garden Audio Story, Kaity, Rebecca and Christine talk together about climate action, hope, the value in all of us working communally, and how much we loved working on this project together. If you’re new to the project, this short listen is a fantastic summary of what we’ve done, and an invitation to listen backwards.
Image Description: A square with large yellow text that reads, "Described Toronto" and below it "PODCAST" in all capital letters, within a yellow rectangle. The title is layered on top of a photo of four diverse women standing side by side outdoors in front of a garden in a park. The woman at centre who is white speaks into a mic. She has a white cane strapped to her shoulder bag.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2368549/episodes/15967375

24/10/2024

Hi description users,
As a member of the Described Toronto Collective, I’ve been collaborating with Describer Rebecca Singh and Event Coordinator Katherine Sanders on a lovely limited podcast series telling the story of a community garden in Toronto. There’re interviews, descriptions of the park, and expert input on how to grow a garden literally and figuratively, and how to foster local pollinators and pollinator species. It’s delightful and inclusive. Here’s a link to episode 4, but I encourage you to check them all out.
Hopewell Garden Audio Story - Part Four
September is a poignant time in any garden. The season is changing, it's the harvest, and everything is gradually slowing down. In this time of natural transition, Rebecca Singh led a guided, described walk for members of Toronto's Blind and Visually Impaired community. And, Christine returned to once again talk with the gardeners about what they're up to, and to hear about life in the garden. From the look and feel of a New England Aster to parties in and out of the garden, this episode has a little bit of everything!
Image Description: A square with large yellow text that reads, "Described Toronto" and below it "PODCAST" in all capital letters, within a yellow rectangle. The title is layered on top of a photo of four diverse women standing side by side outdoors in front of a garden in a park. The woman at centre who is white speaks into a mic. She has a white cane strapped to her shoulder bag.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2368549/episodes/15932824

21/09/2024

Talk Description to Me episode 126

What better way to keep summer vibes alive than a trip to the fair? In this special, on-location episode, Christine and JJ explore the wonders of the Canadian National Exhibition, better known to locals as the CNE or the Ex! Join the two friends as they take a nostalgic stroll down the bustling midway, and describe the roller coasters, carnival games, and deep-fried delights, all captured in booming 360 degree audio.

What better way to keep summer vibes alive than a trip to the fair? In this special, on-location episode, Christine and JJ explore the wonders of the Canadian National Exhibition, better known to locals as the CNE or the Ex! Join the two friends a...

30/08/2024

I’m heading out tomorrow for the classic Canadian Labour Day trip to a cottage, lake front, boats, distant neighbours, quiet, fire, friends, I’m so excited, can you tell? I pulled up this gem from the Talk Description to Me archive, of our cottage episode. There’s fantastically vivid description chat from JJ, and cameos from a couple of hams in training in the back seat of the Lindsay-Hunt getaway car. Photo described by Chat GPT, okay these are from my back yard a few years ago not a cottage, but they express the mood well.
The image shows a row of six tall, vibrant yellow sunflowers with large green leaves, planted in rectangular wooden planters. The plants are positioned against the backdrop of a rustic gray wall with a wooden beam near the top. In the background, you can also see greenery from trees and foliage. The sunflowers stand tall and are in full bloom, bringing bright color to their surroundings.
https://talkdescriptiontome.buzzsprout.com/1136756/9024530-episode-64-the-cottage

29/08/2024

JJ and I went to the today. I’m appropriately drained from body surfing the waves of overwhelming nostalgia!
We’re preparing a couple of episodes on this classic end-of-summer experience.
The pleasant sensory overload of the Midway evoked so many of my best childhood memories:
We had no special urge to test our aging nervous systems on the rides other than the cable car today, but we ate outrageous fried foods, recorded fabulous binaural audio of the midway, and of course, talked description. Look for the episode in the next few weeks.

09/08/2024

The Olympics are in full swing, and daily audio description coverage has never been better. In this archival episode of the Talk Description to Me podcast from 2021, JJ and I discuss the visuals of the previous Olympics, including Olympic memes, protest signs, and slow motion gymnastics. Plus, a few description-rich stories of Olympic sportsmanship. We miss creating regular episodes, so if you know of any potential funders for accessible journalism like ours, please get in touch!

The Olympics are in full swing, and daily audio description coverage has never been better. This week, Christine and JJ discuss the visuals that don't necessarily make it into the prime time recap, including Olympic memes, protest signs, and slow ...

26/06/2024

Radio Lumi episode 426: Spaced, the Audio Tour!
This post contains two links, one to verbal descriptions of individual art pieces, and the second, to episode 426.
Spaced is a collection of art works curated specifically to be displayed in 4 subway stations in the Toronto transit system. Verbal descriptions of each work have been created by Audio Describer Rebecca Singh of Superior Description Services. This link will take you to the page for Kennedy Station
https://luminato.notion.site/SPACED-Kennedy-Station-09e670e4c74f4285b0b82c6509970166
On episode 426 of Radio Lumi, Audio Describer JJ Hunt and I go on an Odyssey of art, training it to the 4 stations, and discussing the art is it exists in the wild. There’s a little something for everyone here, art-lovers, transit geeks, people-watchers, and even acoustic music nurds. Because each art work has already been described individually, JJ is able to look at the broad strokes, (see what I did there?) How the pieces are grouped, where they’re placed in the station, how the lighting effects what gets seen, and how people passing by react to it. Check out the episode here. https://www.buzzsprout.com/1793756

Radio LUMI provides exclusive content of Luminato Festival Toronto, with live-from-location reporting, behind-the-scenes content, audio descriptions of festival programs, artist interviews, and deep dives into each Festival event, as well as other...

18/06/2024

Radio Lumi episode 425, 360 Allstars Demo at Luminato in the Square
There’s not enough audio described circus in the world, but now there’s a bit more. 360 Allstars did a demo of there circus/street-performance/dance/basketball-show at Luminato in the Square in down town Toronto last weekend, and Audio Describers Janis Mayers and JJ Hunt were there for an athletic display of rapid-fire describing, plus answering some of my questions about dance and circus.

Radio Lumi goes back on location to David Pecaut square for an amazing display of acrobatic skill and circus swagger with the internationally acclaimed 360 Allstars. To help describe the troupe’s outrageous BMX, breakdancing, and basketball tricks...

11/06/2024

Radio Lumi episode 424, Live From I Am From Reykjavik
This is a durational piece about building a structure, defining a home, and taking up space. Audio Describer JJ Hunt hung out in an urban park for a day watching Sonia Hughes build a little home. In snippits recorded over 6 hours, we hear descriptions of Sonia and the build, but also of the park, who’s in it, what they’re doing, and who’s interested and engaged by a woman building a house in a public space.

In I Am From Reykjavik, artist Sonia Hughes invites us to forge meaningful connections in unexpected places, and examine our relationship with time and space, by building and dismantling a small home in public places. To capture the day-long, live...

08/06/2024

Radio lumi Episode 422, Respawn, a durational piece of performance art
This is a memorable work, and truly JJ at his best, describing the public space of art, the setting of a durational piece, the aesthetics of the performer, and the subtlety of his movements. There’s weapons, avatars, mirrors, and more cameras than you could count! The work was public, but this audio piece has an intimate feel as JJ talks us through hours of performance, distilled down into a series of excerpted description. It’s innovative, unique audio geared toward a blind and low vision audience, but great listening to anyone interested in performative art. And Maybe the beginning of a new genre, durational describing.

Recorded live at the Art Gallery of Ontario on June 5th, 2024, this on location episode documents and describes Miles Greenberg’s RESPAWN, co-commissioned and co-presented by the AGO and Luminato Festival Toronto.With a microphone in hand, describ...

16/05/2024

Talk Description to Me Episode 125 Radio Lumi

For several years Christine and JJ have been working with Toronto's Luminato Festival, presenting live art, theatre, and dance performances to Blind and Low Vision audiences through the online radio program Radio Lumi. This year, Radio Lumi is expanding its arts and accessibility coverage and shifting its focus to podcasting, which has everyone very excited. On this bonus episode of Talk Description to Me, Christine and JJ introduce you to their Radio Lumi friends, and play description-rich excerpts from episodes you don't want to miss!

For several years Christine and JJ have been working with Toronto's Luminato Festival, presenting live art, theatre, and dance performances to Blind and Low Vision audiences through the online radio program Radio Lumi. This year, Radio Lumi is exp...

23/04/2024

Radio Lumi Episode 405, Urban Parks and Public Spaces

I lead the conversation with co-hosts JJ Hunt and Rebecca Singh. We take a deep dive into Urban Parks and Public Squares. As blind people these can sometimes be blank spaces for us to pass through or skirt around. In this episode, we discuss how they differ, and how they are used.

Host Christine Malec leads the conversation with co-hosts JJ Hunt and Rebecca Singh. In this episode they take a deep dive into Urban Parks and Public Squares. They get into how they are different and how they are used.

18/04/2024

JJ and I are at it again. As an opener for our work with Radio Lumi, the audio-only experience of Toronto’s Luminato festival, I head up this round-table discussion that takes a deep dive into the intricacies of audio description, both for live in-person productions or favourite TV shows. This episode features special guests Kim Kilpatrick, Amy Amantea, and Emily Maxwell, along with Radio LUMI hosts and Audio Describers JJ Hunt and Rebecca Singh. You won’t regret hitting the subscribe button on this podcast, there’s some amazing audio-described content coming up, plus artist interview and innovative discussions geared toward blind and low-vision audiences.

Christine heads up this round-table discussion that takes a deep dive into the intricacies of audio description, both for live in-person productions or your favourite TV shows. If you've never heard of audio description before, (sometimes called "...

01/04/2024

I’m currently in the thick of interviewing and creating content for this year’s Radio Lumi, the audio-only component of the Luminato Festival Toronto. JJ and I are once again proud to be part of the Radio Lumi team. Our previous years’ content is beautifully archived, and available wherever you like to get your podcasts. This makes it easy for me to skate through and remember all the fantastic opportunities I had to learn about aspects of art that have previously been inaccessible to me as a blind person. In this episode from last season, I speak with professional Audio Describer JJ Hunt, Puppeteer Michelle Urbano, and Radio Lumi Co-host Theodore Walker-Robinson. Yep, puppetry: I found it creepy, vaguely alarming, not very approachable. In these discussions we get a chance to learn more about this art form, that’s traditionally been obscure if you’re blind. There’ll be more great new programming coming soon, so sign up to our feed, I promise you’ll be entertained!

Christine Malec sits down with audio describer JJ Hunt and puppeteer Michelle Urbano to explore the “Art of Storytelling in Puppetry" before diving in with Theodore Walker Robinson about the connections between care and puppetry as Luminato 2023 p...

15/02/2024

I'm so excited to be sharing this YouTube link to a presentation JJ and I did for Vocal Eye titled Barbie world, a deep dive into the Barbie movie with focus on descriptions of characters, settings, visual effects, the history of the look of Barbie, and lots more. It's JJ at his best, check it out! 

VocalEye Almost Live guest host Christine Malec is joined by special guest JJ Hunt to break down the visual world of 2023’s box office smash hit, Barbie.Barb...

05/02/2024

This coming Wednesday, Feb. 7, from 7To9 p.m. PSt JJ and I will be doing that thing we do, talking description with the lovely folk at Vancouver-based Vocal Eye, for their weekly Almost Live Zoom event. This time it’s the Barbie Movie! Awsthetics, cinematic technique, Barbie through the decades, the cultural significance, we’re doing it all! Register for VocalEye’s Almost Live Virtual Events:
https://bit.ly/VEZoomReg