Dialogue in the Dark

Dialogue in the Dark is a guided experiential exhibition in which visitors move through a series of everyday environments faithfully recreated in absolute darkness. They are led by blind or partially sighted guides and must rely entirely on touch, sound, smell and spatial awareness. What sets it apart from a conventional museum walk is the inversion of roles: the visually impaired guide becomes the expert and the sighted visitor the learner, turning the visit into a powerful experience of empathy, awareness and team building. The attraction pairs a public ticketed exhibition with corporate workshops and runs as a social enterprise that creates meaningful employment for blind and disadvantaged people.

Headquarters acts as a social franchiser and licensor. HQ provides the proven concept, the brand and trademarks, exhibition design and scenography, consulting through the pre-project and build phases, the guide-training methodology, operating standards and the workshop and programme formats. The local operator — the franchisee or licensee — secures and adapts a suitable venue, arranges the funding, manages the physical build of the dark exhibition, recruits and employs the blind guides and operating team, and runs day-to-day marketing, bookings and operations under a licence agreement. The engagement usually begins with an optional letter of intent granting territorial exclusivity to test feasibility, followed by a licence contract.