Captions & Translation
At Carefuffle, we envision a future where access is inseparable from culture—an act of care, joy, and justice that enriches communities and expands what art can be. We believe accessibility is not compliance, but a creative and liberatory practice that challenges ableist narratives, supports disabled folks, and unlocks new forms of cultural expression. Creating captions for artists' moving image has been our focus for a while, bringing us not only joy but also learning and inspiration.
Guided by collaboration, responsibility, and imagination, we work to ensure that every caption, translation, and access solution nurtures equity, celebrates difference, and empowers cultural production to flourish for all.
We understand that everyone's financial circumstances are different, as we have experienced this ourselves. We aim to be as flexible and helpful as possible, so our rates operate on a sliding scale depending on your budget and whether the project is externally funded or self-funded. This is because we don't want captions and access work to become a financial barrier.
This doesn't mean you should pay people less than they deserve or take advantage of the sliding scale system. A mutual care agreement is in place, so do not worry.
We work with artists & creatives as well as organisations across the creative industries—curators, producers, programmers, and cultural institutions—who are committed to meaningful change to help them embed access into their practice and engage with wider audiences by celebrating difference.
Our services include:
Creative & standard captioning for exhibitions, theatrical releases, broadcast, and online media
Translation & Transcription in English, Spanish and Polish
Captioning workshops and advice for organisations and individuals
Maria Estela Paiso ‘It’s Raining Frogs Outside’
Bassam Issa Al-Sabah ‘Uncensored Lilac’
Creative Captioning
Creative Captioning
Bassam Issa Al-Sabah ‘Dissolving Beyond the Worm Moon’
Dan Guthrie ‘Rotting Figure’
Our creative approach is developed in close collaboration with the creators of the work. This process allows us to craft captions that are not only descriptive but also expressive, poetic, and aligned with the artistic vision. Using carefully chosen, poetic language, we describe the sounds and weave them into a coherent narrative, creating a clear, immersive story that guides the audience through the work.
Features of creative captioning include:
Poetic and evocative sound descriptions
Non-standard, dynamic placement of captions across the screen
Bespoke colour schemes in harmony with the artwork
Optional text animation that visualises the movement and rhythm of sound
This approach is particularly suited for artist commissions, exhibitions, and gallery or museum contexts, where captions become an integral part of the artistic experience.
Turnaround: 1–2 months (depending on length)
DASH x Jade Foster ‘Drafts’
Standard Captioning
For projects where clarity, speed, and best-practice compliance are priorities, we provide standard captioning. This approach is more independent on the captioner’s and consultant’s side, with captions remaining objective in tone.
Features of standard captioning include:
Standard placement (bottom of the screen)
Optional colour coding in line with captioning standards
Clear and accessible descriptions to meet accessibility requirements
This approach is most common for festivals, theatrical screenings and broadcasts.
Turnaround: 1–2 weeks (depending on length)
Marlon Riggs ‘Anthem’
Eternal Engine ‘Deep News’
Translation and Transcription Services
We provide professional translation and transcription of video and audio files to help you reach global audiences and ensure clarity across contexts.
Languages supported: English, Spanish, Castrapo Gallego, Polish
Our approach ensures careful attention to:
Grammar and syntax
Colloquialisms and idiomatic expressions
Cultural context and regional language variations
Sayings, stylistic choices, and subtle nuances
Our translation services can be delivered integrated with captions or as a standalone service, depending on the project’s needs.
Transcriptions provide a clean and accurate textual record of spoken content, suitable for:
Interviews and Q&A sessions
Talks and presentations
and more
What People Say
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LUX worked with Carefuffle on a number of projects and their work has always been exemplary, as well as having the skills and ability they bring a unique knowledge and sensitivity to projects, particularly an understanding of the sometimes unique needs and demands of artists' projects
Benjamin Cook (Founder Director of LUX)
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Carefuffle demonstrated concentrated expertise not just in the technical aspects of captioning, but also in understanding the unique needs of visual art projects. The final captions exceeded my expectations—both accurate and sensitive to the tone and nuances of my film. I can’t recommend Carefuffle enough for anyone looking to improve accessibility in their creative projects.
Bassam Issa Al-Sabah (Artist)
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Carefuffle were as imaginative as they were conscientious. Their sound descriptions are vivid, precise, and entirely apt to the work. There’s a rare generosity to how they approach every project, and magic in what they make. I still shake my head in wonderment at the artistry of what they do.
Sarah Hayden (Associate Professor at the University of Southampton)
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Participants were introduced to user-led principles of captioning artists’ moving image and experimented with strategies for devising translations of sound. This session was devised in response to our members' requests for opportunities to develop practical skills within a supportive setting. The work that Carefuffle creates and shares is sector-leading and I would encourage everyone to work with and learn from them.
Hannah Wallis (Co-Programme Director, Grand Union)
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Working with Carefuffle on captioning was a unique and inspiring experience. It made me rethink my film’s intentions and creatively translate our sound design into words. Carefuffle’s vivid descriptions brought our sound to life, making the short more accessible in a completely new way.
Maria Estela Paiso (Artist)
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Carefuffle Working Group were fantastic to work with! It was my first time properly embedding access into my production process from the outset and we worked collaboratively to enhance and add new layers to my work. I came to them with a creative proposition and they embraced the challenge, embedding new ways of working that I'll take forward from here.
Dan Guthrie (Artist)