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Performance Interpreting

About Performance Interpreting

Founded by Marie Pascall, born with unilateral deafness - built from the community up.

Our Story

Access that comes from lived experience

Performance Interpreting was founded by Marie Pascall, who was born with unilateral deafness. That personal connection is not a footnote, it is the foundation. PI did not start because Marie spotted a gap in the market. It started because Deaf audiences were being locked out of some of the best live experiences in the country, and that was unacceptable.

From the very first event, the question was simple: what does genuine access actually feel like from the audience side? That is the lens every decision passes through - how interpreters are briefed, where they stand on stage, how the day runs, how we protect the experience when things go wrong. It was not a process borrowed from somewhere else. It was built from the inside out.

A turning point came with the landmark Little Mix BSL case. PI was asked to give evidence, and that testimony helped establish in UK law that BSL access at live events is a legal requirement, not a courtesy. It changed how the whole industry thinks about Deaf inclusion, and it was a direct result of more than a decade of doing the work properly, long before any ruling forced anyone else to.

Since then, Performance Interpreting has been inducted into Signature's Hall of Fame - the highest recognition in the BSL interpreting industry - and has been trusted to manage full Deaf access at Royal events and state ceremonies. Wembley Stadium committed to BSL interpreting at every concert through a partnership with PI, making proactive access the standard at the national stadium.

Our Scale

A decade of Deaf access at every major stage

Over more than a decade, PI has delivered BSL and ISL interpreting across the UK and Ireland for clients including Arsenal, The O2, Wembley Stadium, Royal Albert Hall, Live Nation, Festival Republic, BBC, UEFA and NFL. Our interpreters have worked Download, BST Hyde Park, Reading, Leeds, Creamfields, Latitude and across the full Live Nation and Festival Republic portfolios.

600+

Events delivered

27+

Major festivals

6

Premier League clubs

10+

National arenas

Accreditation

Professional standards, rigorously maintained

Every PI interpreter holds NRCPD registration - the UK's national register for communication professionals working with Deaf and deafblind people. It is the standard the NHS, courts and government require, and it is non-negotiable here.

Registration alone is not enough, though. We maintain active oversight of qualifications, ongoing professional development and conduct, because your event and your audiences deserve more than a box-tick.

In the press

Featured coverage

Our work has been covered by national media and recognised by some of the biggest names in sport and entertainment.

BBC Bitesize - Our Story

BBC coverage of Performance Interpreting's mission to bring BSL access to live events across the UK.

Arsenal x Cadbury - BSL for Fans

PI partnered with Arsenal and Cadbury to arrange BSL interpreting for Deaf fans - featuring Ian Wright and the first team.

Wembley Stadium - BSL at Every Concert

Wembley Stadium commits to BSL interpretation at all concerts - a partnership with Performance Interpreting to make access the default.

The Limping Chicken - Marie Pascall on the Ed Sheeran stadium tour

Marie Pascall of Performance Interpreting and Deaf signsong performer Fletch@ on co-working PI's first stadium tour with a Deaf performer, for Ed Sheeran's Mathematics shows.

The Limping Chicken - The Little Mix court case: the story so far

The leading Deaf news outlet's review of the landmark Little Mix BSL case which established BSL access at live events as a legal requirement under the Equality Act 2010 - the case PI gave evidence in.

BBC News - BSL Interpreters at Festivals

BBC News coverage of BSL interpreting at UK festivals - featuring Performance Interpreting's work bringing access to the biggest stages.

Rolling Stone UK - Wembley Stadium to offer sign language at every live show

Rolling Stone covers Wembley's PI-led commitment to BSL interpretation across every concert by default.

The Limping Chicken - Two Deaf rock fans review a signed Limp Bizkit & Korn show

Early coverage of Performance Interpreting in the Deaf press - two rock fans review the experience of seeing Limp Bizkit and Korn with PI interpreters on stage.

NME - Wembley Stadium offers sign language for every live concert

Mainstream music press coverage of the PI x Wembley partnership making BSL access standard at every concert.

Ready to make your event accessible?

Tell us about your event and we'll put together a plan.