On January 15, the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center held a special event. On the same day, Ai Jie, the manager of China’s first guide dog theater, held a retirement ceremony here because he reached the age of service, formally bid farewell to his work and will start his old life in a new family. At the same time, the three working dogs, Jojo, Jinna and Enke, successfully completed their studies and embarked on a career journey to help blind and autistic children. At the event, guide dog users were invited to share their personal experiences, which vividly demonstrated the important role of guide dogs in daily life.
“Working Dogs into Theater” is a key initiative of Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center to promote barrier-free travel. Located at 288 Anfu Road, Drama Tower, as the first guide dog-friendly theater in China, has successfully held three large-scale promotion activities since 2013, aiming to call for more theaters and public places to accept working dogs, and contribute to the barrier-free travel of society.
Back in 2013, the drama “Massage” produced by Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center invited guide dog Jenny and her owner Chen Yan into the theater, which made Shanghai Opera the first theater in China to accept guide dogs. In the following ten years, Shanghua has always upheld social responsibility and actively promoted the convenience of travel for vulnerable groups. In 2018, during the renovation process, the drama Building comprehensively upgraded its barrier-free facilities, including the setting of barrier-free entrances and supporting ramps, the improvement of public toilet facilities for the theater, and the addition of maternity and infant rooms. Its Jasmine Theatre also prioritised barrier-free access when it was rebuilt, ensuring that the first floor entrance was directly connected to the inside of the theatre.
In 2021, Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center helped launch the “Guide Dog into Theater Program” promotion activities, invited actor Wang Yinan to shoot a public service publicity video, and hired the guide dog Ai Jie, who retired early, as the “honorary manager” to publicize the “Three No questions” rule. In the same year, the theatre held its first graduation ceremony for guide dogs, marking the full implementation of the “Guide Dogs into Theatre Program”. Every Sunday afternoon, specific seats in the Art Theatre are reserved for visually impaired people and guide dogs, and are specially marked on the performance leaflet for the convenience of the audience. In 2023, three of China’s first autism assistance dogs completed their graduation ceremony at the theater and formally joined the work. In 2025, this plan will continue to upgrade, aiming to gather more forces and promote the construction of barrier-free theater to a new height.
As the country’s first open theater, the Drama Building on Anfu Road opens four floors of public Spaces to the public, including a lobby and cafe on the first floor, a “Drama Station” on the third floor where exchange activities are held on an irregular basis, and a “Century-old Drama Exhibition” on the sixth floor showcases the history of Shanghai drama. Shanghai Dramatic Art Center continues to practice the vision of “Let Shangyan become a container for people’s spiritual space”, through improving barrier-free facilities, strengthening staff training and other measures, to ensure that everyone can equal access to the theater, feel the charm of art, and continue to contribute to the barrier-free travel of society.
Related topics
- Community Upgrades in Jiaxing Road Street: Transforming Living Environments
- Monaco Considers DNA Testing to Tackle Dog Waste Issue
- Tearful Reunion: Man Reunites with Dog After Wildfire Separation
