Teens and concession card holders have greater opportunities to attend the Fest with the return of accessibility schemes.

In a bid to make the performing arts more accessible to young people, the Adelaide Festival has announced the return of its popular 18 and Under Rush Tickets Scheme.

^{Nathaniel Dean and Ningali Lawford-Wolf will perform in The Secret River at the Adelaide Festival. Photo by Hugh Hartstone}

An initiative that ran in the ‘80s and ‘90s, it allows teenagers to take a punt on theatre, music, and dance for a fraction of the usual ticket price. By simply signing up to the scheme’s email list, those interested will be notified of last minute tickets to selected shows for just $5, a discount of up to 90 per cent.

Co-Artistic Director Rachel Healy stated that the initiative’s return was partly down to her own experiences of the Festival as a teenager.

“Many people my age and older will remember the Adelaide Theatre Passport scheme; it started in the late 1970s and ran for nearly 20 years. Armed with my theatre passport, my friends and I saw dozens of shows for as little as $1 because local arts organisations ensured unsold theatre seats were available to high school students,” said Healy.

“It meant we saw dozens of shows throughout the year, and lots during the Adelaide Festival. My friends and I quickly developed our tastes, opinions and preferences, loved discussing the shows and ideas afterwards and relished the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the cultural life of our city. The scheme had a huge influence on my life and my decision to make a career in the arts.”

“Consequently, we are determined to repay this experience and ensure our programs are just as accessible to Adelaide’s teenagers. Price should be no barrier to attendance. We hope this scheme will play a part in fostering a lifelong love of the arts, and, hopefully, some future Adelaide Festival Artistic Directors!” said Healy.

To ensure that the Festival is accessible to all groups, concession card holders continue to be eligible for Pay What You Can tickets. This allows patrons to nominate their own ticket prices for selected shows, taking into consideration what they can afford. Pay What You Can tickets will be available for Portraits in Motion, Richard III, Peter and the Wolf, The Secret River, Lula Del Ray and 1967.

The 2017 Adelaide Festival runs March 3 – 19. 

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