OPEN CALL. Writing school: creating of audio description and SDH subtitling

Application deadline: 26 October 2026

Location: Lviv, Ukraine

Programme dates: 1 November – 15 December 2026

Format: Audio description — offline; SDH subtitling — online

About the Writing school:

The Writing school of creating audio description and SDH subtitling is a training programme for people who want to learn how to make Ukrainian cinema more accessible to people with visual and hearing impairments.

Participants will be introduced to the principles of creating audio description and subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing (SDH) for film, and will learn how to work with these formats in practice.

The Writing school combines theoretical sessions, practical assignments, and work with real audiovisual works. An important part of the learning process is testing the completed materials with members of the target audiences.

Participants will:

• learn how audio description works and who it is created for;
• learn to analyse visual content and determine what needs to be described in words;
• master the principles of writing audio descriptions for film;
• learn to work with timing and integrate audio description into an existing soundtrack;
• learn how to create SDH subtitles that convey not only dialogue but also important sound information;
• gain practical experience working with films;
• receive feedback from trainers and members of the audiences for whom accessible formats are created.

We are looking for people who:

• are interested in cinema, culture, and accessibility;
• want to work with audio description and/or SDH subtitling;
• have experience working with texts, film, journalism, translation, editing, screenwriting, or cultural projects — this is an advantage but not a requirement;
• are ready to complete practical assignments and work with feedback;
• want to contribute to the development of accessible Ukrainian cinema.

Previous experience in writing audio descriptions or subtitles is not required.

Training programme

During the Writing school, participants will work in two main areas.

Audio Description

• fundamentals of audio description;
• analysing visual content;
• selecting information to describe;
• describing characters, actions, locations, objects, and visual details;
• working with pauses and timing;
• the specific language and style of audio description;
• practical work with films;
• testing audio descriptions with people with visual impairments.

SDH Subtitling

• principles of creating SDH subtitles;
• working with dialogue;
• conveying important sounds and the soundscape;
• indicating music, noise, voices, and other significant sounds;
• timing and readability;
• practical work with video materials;
• testing completed subtitles with people with hearing impairments.

To participate, applicants must:

• be at least 18 years old;
• reside in Ukraine or be a citizen of Ukraine;
• be able to attend all training sessions;
• for the audio description track, attend sessions in person in Lviv;
• complete practical assignments between sessions.

Key dates

• Application deadline: 26 October 2026
• Results announced: 29 October 2026
• Training period: 1 November – 15 December 2026
• Training schedule: Two sessions per week, each lasting 1.5 hours.

How to apply

To participate, please complete the application form.

The application form will ask you to provide:

• a brief introduction about yourself;
• your work or educational experience;
• your motivation for joining the School;
• why you are interested in film accessibility;
• examples of previous work with texts, film, subtitles, translation, editing, etc., if available.

Selection process

Participants will be selected based on their submitted applications.

The selection process will consider:

• motivation;
• interest in the development of accessible cinema;
• readiness for practical work;
• previous professional or creative experience;
• availability to complete the full training course.

A total of 20 participants will be selected: 10 for the audio description track and 10 for the SDH subtitling track.

Contact

For any questions about participating in the School, please contact:

Vira, project coordinator: karpinskavira97@gmail.com

Lviv Culture Hub: hello@lvivculturehub.com

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This programme is implemented by Lviv Culture Hub as part of a UNESCO programme, in partnership with cultural manager Vira Karpinska, with financial support from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).

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