Yasmeen helps make books come alive for blind and partially sited children

27 September 2011

Most people do something for charity, right? Even if it is selling cakes, going on a marathon or the men getting their legs waxed… We’ve heard of it all before. So imagine my surprise when I got an email from Beth Flintoff (The Watermill’s Outreach Director) calling in some young actors from The Watermill, to record voiceovers to make audiobooks for the Living Paintings charity! This was a perfect opportunity to support a local charity and help blind and partially sighted children. So the next day I read the email again, (just to make sure it wasn’t a dream or my imagination – honestly, I think like that a lot!) and phoned Sue Choules (the Living Picture Book Administrator). 

A week later I got the section of script I was to record. As it was a book aimed at young children, I had to make sure I pronounced the words clearly. On top of that I had to remember it was also for blind or partially sighted children, meaning I had to somehow bring the words alive and allow the children to imagine the colours, imagine the smell of the food, and the people….

But believe me; it’s definitely harder than it sounds! I took to recording myself on my laptop, closing my eyes and playing it back, just so I could find out if I could feel anything from it. The nervousness I felt walking into the Living Paintings unit in Kingsclere, a week later, was definitely not something that compares to the years I’ve spent on stage. It was far worse. The fact that I didn’t know what a recording studio was even like just made me anxious. As soon as I met Sue and Liz (the Production Manager) in person, it settled my nerves a little. I just had to keep thinking to myself “it’s all for charity, it’s all for charity…”

 The recording process itself only took around 20 minutes, so it was pretty quick. The anxiety must have disappeared somewhere before I went into the actual recording room. I must have been in my own little world; I don’t know where the time went!

The whole recording experience and meeting the people behind this fantastic charity was an absolute honour. What a way to make the lives of these less advantaged children a bit livelier!
Yasmeen Sheperia  (18yrs)