New Zealand Opera has been named winner of the prestigious Positive Change Award at the Parnell Business Innovation Awards last week. The accolade recognises the company’s sector-leading initiative, Live Language Access: Reimagining Opera Through Inclusive Technology, which delivers real-time, multilingual translations and world-first braille capabilities directly to audience members’ personal devices.
Developed in partnership with technology company contexts.live, the innovation addresses traditional barriers to the performing arts by allowing patrons to stream live translations on their smartphones via a provided QR code. Designed to be visible yet non-distracting in low-theatre lighting, the platform has already offered real-time surtitles in English, Simplified Chinese and Italian, alongside Braille device compatibility for several mainstage operas over the past 2 years.
New Zealand Opera General Director Brad Cohen said the tool represents a massive leap forward for cultural equity.
“We are committed to making opera in Aotearoa more accessible and inclusive,” says Cohen. “For people whose first language may not be English – as well as our blind and low-vision audiences – having real-time translations delivered directly to their personal device can make a massive difference in how they engage with and enjoy a performance. We are deeply grateful to the Parnell Business Association for recognising this work and honouring our commitment to innovation and community.”
The innovation achieved a world first in 2024 by enabling Braille readers to read sung text simultaneously with the performance, allowing users to fully immerse themselves in the music and share collective audience experiences – such as laughing at comedic timing in real time.
As a charitable arts company operating under tight funding constraints, New Zealand Opera plans to utilise the award’s prize money to assist with expanding its language offerings in the future to include te reo Māori, Samoan and Korean.
Established in 1995 and based out of its Parnell headquarters for the last seven years, New Zealand Opera champions world-class storytelling through the power of the human singing voice, ensuring a vibrant and sustainable presence for opera in New Zealand.
