The Royal New Zealand Ballet is pleased to make a free companion seat available to anyone with a disability which significantly affects their ability to independently attend an RNZB performance or event. This includes, but is not limited to, audience members with limited mobility or physical disabilities, learning or developmental disabilities, sensory disabilities and members of the Deaf and visually impaired communities. Please see below for how to access free companion seats.

The RNZB is a touring company and as such relies on the ticketing agencies contracted by the venues in which we perform in order to assist audience members with special access requirements. The exception to this is subscription tickets, which are now sold directly by the RNZB. The RNZB regularly reminds venue and ticketing agency staff of their obligation to assist these audience members and to offer companion seats as needed, at the time of booking.

Detailed information about the accessibility of all the venues in which the RNZB regularly performs can be found on the Venue Accessibility page of our website.

Due to the accessibility limitations of some venues or when performances are heavily sold, it may not be possible to fulfil special access requirements at short notice. We recommend that you contact the venue concerned as early as possible to discuss your requirements and to plan your visit. The RNZB’s own ticketing staff are also happy to assist with advice or to put you in touch with the right person at any venue.

In addition to companion seats, which are available at every performance by the Royal New Zealand Ballet, the RNZB presents a growing range of opportunities for audience members with barriers to participation. These include, at selected performances, audio description with reduced price designated seating and touch tours for the blind and visually impaired, and dedicated ‘relaxed performances’ for neurodiverse people, including those with autism spectrum conditions.

Implementation of this policy is overseen by the Director of Marketing and Development, in partnership with the Education, Community and Accessibility Manager and the Ticketing and CRM Manager.