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PERCEIVED SOLUTIONS BY DEAF ADULTS TO IMPROVE THEIR LEISURE ENGAGEMENT IN THE NORTH WEST PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA

Deaf communities embrace their unique culture and heritage, and enjoy the deaf related activities in which they engage. Furthermore, these activities surround them with their culture and use sign language as their mode of communication. It is not enough to provide sign language interpreters and oral interpreters. This study aimed to explore and describe possible solutions perceived by deaf adults to improve their leisure engagements and participation in the North West Province, South Africa. A qualitative, descriptive research design using semi-structured interview questions to gather data through face-to-face interviews from thirteen deaf adults was used. The study reported six themes after liaising with an independent co-coder who coded and analysed data independently. The themes included effective communication, training, family and community support, variety of activities, government intervention, and motivation. It was noted that more effort is still needed to be spent by various stakeholders, to address minority groups' challenges, particularly people with disabilities. The study concludes that participants' perceptions should be considered to improve their leisure participation, which means consultations with the community is much needed, instead of implementing a one-size-fits-all solution.

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RISKY THEATRE? THE INFLUENCE OF FESTIVALS ON THE RISK PERCEPTION OF THEATER

While theatre performances in traditional venues seem to attract specific segments of the population, theatre performances during arts festivals have been gaining in popularity. A lower perception of risk seems to be attracting attendees to festivals more than to traditional theatre venues. We find that arts and theatre festivals are more accessible to consumers because they provide lower perceived levels of risk in terms of satisfaction, and the social, psychological and economic components of experience. Surveys of arts and theatre festival visitors in the Netherlands show that by reducing risk in these areas, festivals can attract an increased and more diverse audience. Respondent participation in arts and theatre festivals affected to some extent their appreciation of theatre, the perceived value of the performance and their overall perception of risk, ultimately leading to increased theatre attendance. Theatres can, therefore, use festivals as part of their strategy for audience expansion and development.

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YOUNG PEOPLE'S LEISURE AND SAFETY: AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

Young people's social problems regarding health and safety were analyzed in this study. In an international context, a group of young scholars (university students from around the world) developed a survey instrument to study factors that influence the use of public leisure facilities and places in their communities. Based on their discussions, they developed an online instrument inquiring about young people's leisure habits and perceptions of safety from 15 different countries. Then, the young scholars distributed the online questionnaire in their own communities. A total number of 747 young participants completed the questionnaire. Findings revealed that half of the young people feel available public spaces are not safe enough for them to partake in leisure activities. Many of them indicated that they regularly visit specific leisure and recreation sites and facilities such as fitness centers, cultural institutions and youth clubs. The participants expressed several security concerns regarding the safety of these places. In conclusion, it was evident that younger people expect the governments to provide safe places for their leisure. Increasing awareness of severity and likelihood of environmental and social hazards as well as availability of cell phone services were highlighted as major ways of improving their perceptions of safety.

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A REFLECTION ON LEISURE INDUSTRIES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN TAIWAN

Taiwan, with a population of around 24 million people, has recorded 443 cases of Covid-19 and seven deaths from the coronavirus. By June 3rd, 2020, no new cases had been reported for several weeks. Taiwan has managed the situation without implementing severe restrictions, like lockdowns, or school and nursery closures. People feel more comfortable going out now that Taiwan has had no new domestic Covid-19 cases for 50 consecutive days. Therefore, Taiwan was scheduled to ease Covid-19 restrictions on June 7th, 2020 (Taipei Times, 2020). The country is, however, expected to face a slew of economic challenges in the leisure industries, including airlines, hotels and restaurants, theme parks, tour operators, travel agencies, etc. Major hotels in Taiwan are offering cutthroat discounts for their lodging and dining facilities as the government plans to launch stimulus coupons in July, 2020 (Taipei Times, 2020). To maximize the vouchers' effectiveness, the government is going to expand their use and allow them to be used to pay for almost everything from snacks at night markets, coffee at convenience stores, to travel and entertainment.