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Performance Interpreting

For Interpreters

Join the team shaping Deaf access at the UK and Ireland's biggest live events.

PI team pitchside at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium

Working with PI

Live events interpreting is its own specialism

Interpreting at a festival or a Premier League match is a different discipline from a boardroom or a medical setting. The vocabulary, the pace, the physical environment, the team dynamics - all of it demands skills you won’t pick up in a standard RSLI/CSW pathway. See where we work on our festival access page.

Performance Interpreting has built a team of interpreters who thrive in this environment. If you’re curious about live events work - or already doing it and want to work with a team that takes it seriously - we’d like to hear from you.

What we look for

Skills and standards

All interpreters working with PI must hold current NRCPD registration. Beyond that, we look for people who are comfortable in high-energy environments and work well as part of a team under production constraints.

NRCPD registered

Current registration required for all PI interpreters.

Live event experience

Prior experience at concerts, festivals, sport, or theatre is highly valued.

Team player

Large events run with interpreter teams and rotation schedules.

Adaptable under pressure

Live events don’t always go to plan. We need calm under changing conditions.

BSL interpreter signing at a festival with stage behind

“I attended the two day festival training weekend and was absolutely blown away by how much I came away with! They created a really supportive and safe space.”

PI Academy participants gathered together after a training weekend

Training & Development

The PI Academy

Performance Interpreting’s dedicated training platform - built specifically for interpreters who want to specialise in live events. Structured courses, hands-on mentoring and ongoing CPD you won’t find anywhere else.

Live event vocabulary for music, sport, comedy and entertainment

Team interpreting at scale - rotations, handovers, long events

Production coordination - sight-lines, lighting, stage comms

Legal and ethical framework - Equality Act, reasonable adjustments

Explore courses at the PI Academy

“The training offered by Performance Interpreting is invaluable. The trainers made the whole programme so welcoming. I enjoyed pushing through the boundaries of my comfort zone.”

Start here

Volunteer your way in

Volunteering with Performance Interpreting gives you a real feel for live-access environments before you commit to training. You’ll support interpreter teams on site, help with logistics, and see first-hand how events run. Open to Deaf volunteers fluent in BSL, and hearing volunteers at Level 6 or above.

Welcome Deaf attendees and support coordinators

Help with set-up - banners, equipment, access areas

Free entry to events and festivals

Selected volunteers may be invited to shadow interpreters

“Working with Performance Interpreting has been such a supportive journey. Beginning as a volunteer, I was able to observe first-hand the passion and dedication of the team.”

Register your interest
PI volunteers at a festival
PI interpreter signing in front of festival main stage crowd at dusk

Get in Touch

Interested in working with PI?

If you hold NRCPD registration and are interested in live events interpreting work, get in touch. Tell us about your experience, the types of events you’ve worked at (or would like to) and any specialist vocabulary areas.

We’re always building our pool of interpreters ahead of our busiest seasons - festival summer and the autumn arena circuit. The earlier you’re in touch, the better.

Get in touch

Common questions

For interpreters — FAQs

Do I need to be NRCPD-registered to work with PI?
Yes — current NRCPD registration is required for every interpreter PI works with. This is the standard the NHS, courts and government require, and it's non-negotiable for live event work too. If you're not yet registered, the PI Academy can help with the development pathway.
Do I need prior live events experience?
Prior live events experience is highly valued but not always essential. We've brought interpreters across from community, conference and educational settings — what matters more is your adaptability under pressure, your team-working, and your willingness to learn the specific demands of festivals, arenas and broadcast.
How do I apply to work with PI?
Get in touch via our contact form. Tell us about your NRCPD registration, the types of events you've worked at (or would like to), your specialist vocabulary areas, and your availability. We're always building our pool ahead of festival summer and the autumn arena circuit — the earlier the better.
What's the difference between PI Academy and joining PI as an interpreter?
PI Academy is our training arm — NRCPD-approved CPD courses, mentoring and the Song Club for any interpreter wanting to develop performance interpreting skills, whether or not they'll ever work for PI. Joining PI as an interpreter means being part of the team we book onto live events — festivals, arenas, broadcast and beyond. Many of our interpreters started with the Academy first.
What domains does PI specialise in?
Music (concerts, festivals, tours, broadcast), sport (Premier League clubs, stadium events, broadcast), comedy, political events, awards ceremonies, broadcast and corporate. We're the appointed Deaf Access provider for Wembley Stadium and have delivered access at every major UK festival circuit. We refer dedicated theatre work to specialist partners on a case-by-case basis.
Is volunteering with PI a route into interpreting work?
Volunteering gives you a real feel for live-access environments before you commit. It's open to Deaf volunteers fluent in BSL and hearing volunteers at Level 6 or above. Selected volunteers may be invited to shadow interpreters where appropriate. It's not a guaranteed pathway into paid work, but it's a great way to test whether live events is for you.
Does PI provide kit and uniform?
Yes — every interpreter receives a complimentary PI t-shirt for work. Our extended kit portal offers hoodies, jackets, hats and more for interpreters who want to add to their collection, delivered direct to your door.
Performance Interpreting

Team kit

Extended PI gear

Every interpreter receives a complimentary PI t-shirt for work. Beyond that, our kit portal offers an extended range of branded gear - hoodies, jackets, hats and more - for those who want to add to their collection. Delivered direct to your door.

Browse kit