Going to see Michael Jackson live might sadly be off the cards these days, but for one young Derbyshire superfan, the next best thing turned into a night she and her family won’t forget.
Amelia, who was born profoundly deaf, was desperate to see Michael Starring Ben – The Magic of Michael Jackson at Derby’s Vaillant Live.
There was just one thing her family needed to work out before the big night: where would be the best place for Amelia to sit so she could get as much from the show as possible?
So her mum, Inuta Tabore, dropped the venue a message.
She wasn’t asking for special treatment. She wasn’t even asking for an interpreter.
She just wanted some advice about the seats.
Instead, Vaillant Live went considerably further.
Staff arranged for a British Sign Language interpreter to be at the performance so Amelia could follow the show, sorting the whole thing out in less than 24 hours.
Honestly, somebody give these people a gold star.
‘I honestly wasn’t expecting anything more than some advice’
Inuta said she had simply explained the situation when she contacted the arena.
“I didn’t email to ask for a BSL interpreter. I just explained that I would be bringing my deaf daughter with me and asked for their advice about where we should sit so that she could have the best possible experience.
“I honestly wasn’t expecting anything more than some advice about the seats.”
But the response from Vaillant Live was almost immediate.
Staff asked where the family had booked so they could make sure the interpreter would be positioned somewhere Amelia could see them.
Once the seats were confirmed, the venue organised the interpreter and got back in touch to tell the family everything had been sorted.
All in less than a day.
And suddenly a simple question about where to sit had become something much bigger.
So how can Deaf people experience a live gig?
It’s worth busting one assumption here: being Deaf doesn’t automatically mean someone can’t enjoy music.
Deafness and hearing loss cover a huge spectrum, so there isn’t one definitive way a Deaf person experiences a concert.
Some people have residual hearing and may use hearing aids or cochlear implants. Others can experience elements of music through vibration, particularly powerful low frequencies and bass.
And anyone who has ever stood anywhere near a massive arena speaker knows you don’t exactly need perfect hearing to know when the bass has kicked in.
There’s also far more happening at a live show than sound alone.
Lighting, dancing, movement, staging, the reaction of the crowd and the sheer physical atmosphere of thousands of people enjoying the same thing can all form part of the experience.
For BSL users, an interpreter can add another dimension by translating lyrics and elements of the performance into sign language. Depending on the show and the person, other accessibility options might include captions or assistive technology.
The important bit is that Deaf music fans aren’t all experiencing gigs in exactly the same way.
For Amelia, making the show accessible meant she wasn’t simply attending the gig with her family. She was being properly included in it.
‘Sometimes inclusion isn’t about grand gestures’
The story has since won praise from Paul Burrows, headteacher of Derby’s Royal School for the Deaf.
Sharing Amelia’s experience on LinkedIn, he said:
“I’m always so happy to hear stories about organisations that go the extra mile to make sure everyone feels welcome and included, especially those in the Deaf community of Derby.”
And he summed up the whole thing rather nicely:
“Sometimes, inclusion isn’t about grand gestures or complicated strategies. It’s about listening, caring and taking action.”
This certainly seems to have been a case of the latter.
Derby has a strong Deaf community
The story struck a chord with Kirsty Corbett, presenter of East Midlands arts podcast Arts & Toast.
Having moved to Derby 18 years ago, she said one of the first things she noticed about the city was its Deaf community.
She said: “I moved to Derby 18 years ago and one of the first things I noticed, whilst sitting in a cafe in the city centre, was multiple people using sign language and nobody made a fuss of it. It was just part of the city, its people and its culture.”
She added that it had been a joy to see Amelia’s love of music celebrated alongside the venue’s efforts to make the evening inclusive.
The importance of accessible entertainment is particularly relevant in Derby.
During National Sign Language Week in March 2026, Derby North MP Catherine Atkinson told Parliament that Derby has the largest Deaf community of any local authority in the country.
Meanwhile, figures cited by the RNID estimate that around 12 million people in the UK are Deaf or have hearing loss.
Vaillant Live says it wants shows to be for everyone
Vaillant Live opened on Colyear Street in April 2025 and is owned by Derby City Council and operated by ASM Global.
General manager Marcus Sheehan said the team was delighted to hear about Amelia’s experience.
He said: “We’re committed to making our events accessible for everyone and if a customer requires a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter, captioning, or audio description, we’ll look to arrange this wherever possible.”
The venue recommends contacting staff as early as possible if accessibility services are required, giving the team time to make arrangements and allocate suitable seating.
It also has a Changing Places toilet and accessibility hosts and volunteers who can support visitors during events.
But perhaps the nicest review of the night came from Amelia’s mum.
Inuta said: “There is a saying that ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. On that evening, without a doubt, Vaillant Live was part of our village.”
And really, you can’t say fairer than that.
