Sean and Megan – Art, Film and Culture winners

‘Access to cinema is vital for mental health’

SUBTITLER Sean Welsh knows the power of a happy ending after a decade making films accessible for deaf audiences. Now he and partner Megan Mitchell, a film festival programmer, are celebrating one of their own, with a National Lottery Award for captioning 275 movies during the pandemic for diverse audiences with certain needs.

Bristol-based Sean, 38, and Megan, 27, worked round the clock providing subtitles for independent cinemas that moved online. They also offered training to others, including people with autism via Film Hub Scotland.

Sean’s brother Stuart has cerebral palsy, and Sean says: “It’s made me more sensitive to the importance of universal access. Providing subtitles and captions should be mandatory. Cinema can be a release, it’s vital for mental health.”

Megan adds: “There had been perceived obstacles such as cost and time. We showed that you can do this relatively cheaply. And National Lottery funding has also allowed us to deliver projects we couldn’t otherwise have done.”