Disability Strategy Project Team
Deaf Arts
Date
Agenda item
Presented by
Author
Attachments
October 2004
Deaf Arts and Sign Language Arts
Maggie Woolley
Deaf Arts Definitions
1
Summary
Deaf Arts development has been largely underfunded and has hung
on the coat-tails of Disability Arts development for the past 15 years.
Yet Deaf Arts has a unique and vibrant hidden history. Driven
underground by the oralists from 1880 onwards, native Deaf Arts are
only just beginning to re-emerge as a confident, talented and
younger generation of practitioners reclaim their linguistic and
cultural identities and rights to be artists and performers and have
control over their arts.
Deaf Arts and Sign Language Arts which are led by Deaf people who
have BSL as a first or preferred language have rarely been granted
space in the Arts Council decision making process, or those of its
RFOs, including Disability Arts organisations. This is not to say that
deaf and hard of hearing people are “not given a voice”. Many Deaf
people, including myself, who present their views in spoken English,
have significant involvement in such processes. However, we do not
see our Deaf (BSL native) colleagues around such decision making
tables and frequently find ourselves in the position speaking on
behalf of absent Deaf people, for whom BSL is a native language.
Whilst recognising the barriers and discrimination faced by deaf and
hard of hearing artists and practitioners who use spoken language
and have English as a first or preferred language, this paper will
focus on Deaf Arts which are native to BSL users. It will present
contemporary definitions and suggest priorities for future positioning
and strategy.
2
Background
Deaf Culture
Type document headline here and on the following page if required
1 of 20
The DA21 conference at Holton Lee in February 2002 paved the way
for a watershed of better understanding and closer association
between Disabled artists and Deaf artists. Deaf academic, Dr Paddy
Ladd’s paper was largely given over to explaining the meaning and
nature of Deaf Arts and Deaf Culture.
In Disability Arts we mostly use the term culture interchangeably with
arts. In the Deaf movement we use the term culture to describe
everything about our lives and experience. Deaf culture refers not
only to our arts but every dimension of our experience including our
history and spiritual experience.
Paddy attempted to illustrate the international dimension of Deaf
culture, what he calls “global citizenship” and what he terms the
collective dimension of Deafhood with a film of a performance at
the World Federation of the Deaf Congress in Brisbane in 1999. This
performance involved 80 countries whose representatives adapted
their sign languages to an international form for the performance.
There was an audience of 3000 and no Sign Language Interpreters
were used.
Deaf people and the Social Model of Disability
In Paddy’s view:
“ The social model has been immensely valuable to all of us over the
20 years it has existed. However, its limitations in capturing the
nature of the Deaf experience continue to be partly responsible for
the lack of progress being made in Deaf-Disabled understanding.
What the social model does best us place responsibility for access to
mainstream society with that society itself. Were it to be properly
adopted, its main achievement would be to ensure that any Deaf or
Disabled individual gains equal access to mainstream society. This
requires rooting out all the institutionalized discrimination that lies
hidden beneath the more obvious barriers. In as much as these
barriers affect Deaf people this social model approach is of great
value.
But there is another dimension, another level of reality, which the
model does not touch. And that we present here as encompassed by
the culturo-linguistic model.”
Type document headline here and on the following page if required
2 of 20
Culturo-Linguistic Model
Paddy goes on to say that Deaf people do actually perceive
themselves, not just intellectually, but emotionally and culturally to be
a collective entity even across international boundaries. He
distinguishes between what anthropologists describe as collectivist
cultures and Western majority cultures which are fundamentally
individualist cultures. He accuses Western policy makes as being
culturally inhibited from recognizing collectivist cultures simply
because they are not aware of the differences that are operating.
Deaf people have frequently felt frustrated and misunderstood when
striving to explain and promote their cultural differences and their
artistic expression, not only within the mainstream but also within the
Disability Arts arena. Whereas many previously isolated deaf and
hard of hearing artists who have intelligible speech have found
essential support and a launch-pad within Disability Arts, Deaf Arts
practitioners have felt reluctant to discuss their views and experience
when faced with misunderstanding and an apparent reluctance to
accept Deaf people on the terms of their distinct cultural experience.
Deaf Arts in History
The British Deaf Historian A. F. Dimmock is one of a growing number
Deaf historians who have unearthed a rich seam of Deaf artists
dating back to 16th century Spanish artist Juan de Navarette (“El
Mudo”). It’s a history that is by no means restricted to adventitiously
deafened artists such as Beethoven, Goya etc. Ladd (2004) suggests
that Deaf artists’ colonies comprised the first European Deaf, sign
language using communities from the 16th century onwards.
“How could a Deaf person prove his or her intelligence to sceptical
hearing people? Remember in those days very few people were able
to read and write, then the artist’s talent was perhaps one of the
quickest and most prestigious ways to do so.” Ladd op cit
However, with the exception of visual artist A.R. Thompson (1894 –
1979), Deaf artists appeared to drain from the mainstream into the
20th century and it is only in the later part of the 20th century that we
began to see a resurgence of Deaf visual artists.
The 1880s marked the advent of oralism and the international ban on
the use of sign languages in Deaf Schools. Deaf teachers were
sacked and deaf children were prevented from having contact with
Type document headline here and on the following page if required
3 of 20
Deaf adults. The Deaf literacy rate fell so that school leavers had an
average reading age of 8.5 (Conrad 1979) and Deaf artists all but
disappeared. Hay and Montgomery (Scottish Workshop of the Deaf
1979) have described the banning of the language, prevention of its
use in education and communication of information to deaf people as
driving Deaf Culture underground to the point where Deaf people
became ashamed of their language and culture. They refer to this
process as “kid-glove genocide”, a reference that was later taken up
by the NUD when communicating with the United Nations about their
linguistic and cultural rights (NUD 1981).
Miles (1974), writing amount the resurgence of Deaf Theatre in
1970s USA traced a similar history of decline within Deaf Theatre,
poetry and creative writing. Skits, Sketches and Sign Language
Theatre were common on both sides of the Atlantic prior to 1880 and
the ban on Sign Language.
Woolley F.M. (1985) drew parallels with the rise and fall of native
theatricality and theatre under English colonial rule in Scotland,
Ireland, India and the Caribbean and the resurgence of linguistically
native theatre in the latter part of the 20th century. The pattern of
decline paralleled the linguistic oppression of these populations in
which children were forced to learn English and punished for using
native language.
In the last quarter of a century sign languages and Deaf Teachers
have returned to Deaf Education and the visibility and accessibility of
Sign Languages on Television and a wide variety of platforms has
led to millions of hearing people learning in the western world sign
languages. In March 2003 the British Government finally caught up
with its European counterparts and recognised BSL as a British
language.
Thus, history reveals strong parallels between the position of Deaf
arts and Deaf artists and the fluctuating politics of linguistic
intervention whether this has concerned negative and oppressive
intervention like Oralism or positive Equality and rights-related
interventions for BSL users.
In the last 10-15 years there has been a highly significant increase in
Deaf artists who are not only choosing to make their living in the arts
but delivering arts which reflect native Deaf artforms. Perhaps the
most flourishing Deaf Arts developments have involved digital
Type document headline here and on the following page if required
4 of 20
technology e.g. film-making, animation, digital arts etc. Such
technology not only allows Deaf people to have greater control over
communicating and marketing the product but enables direct access
to a wider audience to their work through digital captioning, voice
over translation and direct presentation in BSL.
3
Main section
This section should cover all the main points of the report
Deaf Visual Arts
Further and Higher Education
It is only in the last five to ten years that some Art Colleges and
Universities have started to provide a more acceptable level of
access for deaf students. Although DDA legislation now extends to
education, understanding of what constitutes quality access varies
from one higher education establishment to another. For example,
many colleges and universities will provide people who merely have
a level 2 certificate in BSL as “interpreters”. Although such support
workers (or “cowboy interpreters” as they are known in the Deaf
Community and Deaf media e.g. See Hear on Saturday BBC TV
June 2004) are very much out of their depth. In struggling to translate
arts and academic lectures, they continue to deceive employers and
perhaps themselves in claiming to have BSL Interpreter expertise
and knowledge of Deaf Culture. The University of Wolverhampton
has produced a glossary of art signs for colleges but this is an
incomplete solution if colleges continue to employ incompetent
communicators.
What is promoted as choice for deaf people in higher education is
actually a restricted choice of universities and colleges which have
an established reputation for supporting Deaf students e.g. Bristol,
Wolverhampton, Preston and Durham. A deaf student may be
offered more artistically appropriate or exciting art courses in other
colleges but will usually opt for the place where there is a better
guarantee of quality support and significant intake of other Deaf
students.
Visual Arts Employment
In the 1980s, Trevor Landell achieved acclaim in the London
Disability Arts scene and national attention when Channel 4
reproduced “Deaf Man” on an advertising poster for the “Listening
Type document headline here and on the following page if required
5 of 20
Eye” programmes. More opportunities for Deaf visual artists followed
in 1992 when the RNID gifted a legacy to Shape to establish a
national Deaf Arts programme. A then Oxford postgraduate student
and CODA, Abram Stein, secured college support for “Deaf
Expressions” – an exhibition of Deaf Art. This was followed by a
second exhibition at Cambridge University in 1994. [check dates].
These pioneering exhibitions revealed a resurgence of young and
highly talented Deaf artists who have continued to be very
productive, with some of them exhibiting in international Deaf Art
exhibitions e.g. Omeima Mudawi, Rachel Caws (married name?),
Rubbena Aurangzareb-Tariq, Niall McCormack and Miles Thomas.
Since the Millennium, a new generation of young artists have
become active eg Bim Ajadi (digital art), Cathy Woolley, June
Hyppolite, Christopher Sacre and more. A few of these artists have
raised their own funds independently of non-deaf agencies.
Despite the quality of the work and this wealth of talent, few of these
artists have had opportunity to exhibit in the mainstream and most
remain largely unknown to Disability Arts agencies. This said, since
the millennium, younger artists have been organizing their own
events and curating Deaf Arts exhibitions e.g. Wolverhampton
Lighthouse Deaf Art exhibitions, Lake of Art at Candid Gallery, The
Last Supper, Regenerate (Deaf Women Artists),Deafishand and
more. Deaf Escape, an entirely Deaf-led project has provided
residential arts weeks and exhibition space for Deaf artists in the
Lake District 2002, Holton Lee 2003, and France in September 2004.
Although Deaf artists continue to aspire to mainstream opportunities,
Deaf Escape originated because of a perceived lack of Deaf Visual
Art activity and opportunity.
Deaf Escape highlighted key issues for Deaf Visual artists as
concerning :






A lack of: space, time, motivation, finance, inspiration and
competition.
Exclusion from the mainstream art scene
Attitudes and discrimination within the mainstream AND
deaf/disability arts scene
Too much emphasis within the arts on training and access
issues
Lack of emphasis on creative practice
Type document headline here and on the following page if required
6 of 20
(Woolley C 2003 and 2004)
The Deaf Escape weeks “renewed confidence and sense of
achievement”; led to the production of new artwork, an exhibition and
on-line gallery. Artists referred to a sense of being part of a
“movement”.
Similar surges in confidence, commitment to their art and production
of new work have been highlighted by older Deaf artists like Niall
McCormack, Omeima Mudawi and Rubbena Aurangzareb-Tariq who
have had opportunities in recent years to attend international Deaf
Arts events in the USA and Sweden. At one such conference in
1989, Deaf Way artists from the USA and Japan introduced the term
“De’Via” (standing for Deaf View/Image Art) to describe art which
stems from Deaf experience. Not all work claimed to be “De’Via” is
by Deaf Artists. The work of hearing artists whose work is influenced
by Deaf experience can also be described as De’Via. Whilst there is
some support for the some of the main tenets of De’Via amongst
Deaf artists in the UK, the term is not used by artists to describe their
own work.
Whilst Deaf Escape welcomes and includes artists who have little or
no BSL, deafened and hard of hearing artists can feel rejected by
some Deaf Arts promoters and excluded from both the mainstream
and Deaf and Disability Arts sectors. It is arguably the case that deaf
artists who “do have a voice” in the sense of having intelligible
speech, are often amongst those deaf artists who do not enjoy a
collective voice in communicating key issues which concern them.
Common sources of hearing impairment do not lead to common
experience of disability amongst deaf people. Rather, linguistic and
communication priorities and choices lead to distinct access needs
and cultural experiences. Some deafened and hard of hearing artists
find a more supportive home (albeit still in exile from the mainstream)
within Disability Arts.
Deaf Performing Arts
When Deaf people begin to talk about Deaf Arts at arts gatherings or
even Disability Arts gatherings, those present often refer to Sign
Language interpreted performances or events as reflecting Deaf Arts.
When it was suggested that Sign Poetry should be included in a
Type document headline here and on the following page if required
7 of 20
recent arts event, the arts manager said “Oh I know a good poet. We
could ask an interpreter to sign it for her.”
Such has been the emphasis on access for deaf and hard of hearing
people, that the existence of our own arts and indeed Deaf artforms
is scarcely acknowledged. Some Disability Arts organisations now
claim to develop and promote Disability and Deaf Arts yet the reality
for the Deaf audience at subsequent events concerns watching a
Sign Language Interpreter or reading captions.
At one level access and developmental issues for deaf performing
artists are also similar to those of deaf visual artists. However, it is
within the performing arts that we find expression and distinct
artforms which are unique to Deaf language, identity and culture.
Sign Language and Deaf Culture have produced native Deaf
artforms such as Sign Storytelling and Deaf Theatre. Later
developments have included Sign Poetry and deaf/hearing art
hybrids such as Sign Dance and Sign Song.
Throughout the world’s history, common language and experience
has led to theatrical expression starting with story-telling. Sign Story
telling is common within all Deaf communities. Ladd (2004 op.cit)
terms Storytelling the strongest of the Deaf Folk Arts which is “part of
everyday Deaf life, not an artform apart.” Even at international
conferences and events, including non-arts events, Sign Story-telling
circles will form spontaneously, more often than not with all
participants standing up rather than being seated. This is an aspect
of Deaf Culture which is rarely seen in the hearing world and
certainly isn’t readily accessible to non sign language users.
Simultaneous interpretation into spoken English which does justice to
the art, would defy the talents of even the most skilled Sign
Language Interpreter.
Ladd (2004) argues that the best of British Deaf story-tellers never
think of taking their talents beyond Deaf Community limits and only a
handful have broken through to perform more widely, particularly
through video and television. It is perhaps only when Deaf television
and video crews have recorded story telling that accurate translation
and performance level voice-over has been achieved.
Sign Story telling could be viewed as the rough and raw theatricality
which has been at the cornerstone of development into native theatre
Type document headline here and on the following page if required
8 of 20
throughout the world. However, Deaf Theatre and Sign Language
Theatre, with all too rare exceptions, have significantly failed to draw
on storytelling as a fundamental improvisational resource or analise
the skills of the story-teller as attributes for the Deaf actor e.g.
especially as relating to sign-pace, timing, movement and playing to
the common sensibilities of the audience, not forgetting skills relating
to performing in BSL. It often seems as if deaf people leave their
native BSL in the wings as they come on stage to mouth English with
exaggerated signs. Even in productions that have involved Deaf
directors, the BSL is often “anglicised” to the point where deaf
audiences, themselves could, arguably, require interpreters.
Miles (op. cit.) described similar problems of the anglicisation of ASL
(mouthing) and resulting frustration for the deaf audience during the
early years of the National Theatre of the Deaf in the USA. Similarly
Derek ? described the impact on quality when Caribbean actors
produced English theatre as opposed to native theatre.
What has been called Deaf Theatre or Sign Language Theatre in the
UK has largely been produced, directed and even acted by hearing
people. The Arts Council has not been alone as a funder in
supporting this state of affairs. Whereas a hearing audience may be
happy with some of these offerings, deaf audiences can emerge
feeling immense frustration and powerlessness concerning the
apparent lack of understanding of their language and culture. When
approached by hearing audiences who gush with “Wasn’t the signing
wonderful”, deaf audiences choke back the temptation to say “How
did they know?” and “Why did the actors sign to each others’ backs?
Who were they signing for?” In 1976 the National Union of the Deaf
queried the use of signing in theatre. If deaf people can’t understand
and therefore access this theatre and hearing audiences don’t
understand “the signing” either, “the actors must have been doing it
for themselves”. (NUD op. cit.)
After twenty years as an actress working in hearing theatre
companies and television, Paula Garfield’s frustration at continuously
reigning in her creativity and ideas and having to accept hearing
interpretations of deaf experience led her to establish Deafinitely
Theatre which is led by Deaf artists. Deafinitely’s most recent
production reworks Children of a Lesser God’s outdated narrative
and Deaf characters as Children of a Greater God, thus reflecting the
pride and confidence Deaf people have in their language and culture,
nearly 25 years since Mark Medoff’s play first came to the UK.
Type document headline here and on the following page if required
9 of 20
Education
The majority of deaf children are born to hearing parents. Deaf
people care passionately, not only about the education and
upbringing of their own deaf children but also that of all deaf children.
Occasionally, Deaf people have been accused of betraying the
Social Model in insisting that they are a linguistic minority. There is
also much misunderstanding around the Deaf Community’s support
for Deaf schools and Deaf peer-group education. Recent research by
DEX (Deaf Ex-Mainstreamers) has shown that the majority of deaf
children in mainstream schools, irrespective of whether they had
intelligible speech, did not understand their teachers or fellow pupils
and felt isolated and unhappy throughout their education. Children
whose education contained elements of bi-lingual communication
were found to suffer less isolation and distress and were more
successful academically (DEX’s Best Value Review of Deaf
Education 2004).
There can be little doubt that contact with native culture and arts has
an essential influence on children’s psychological well-being; this is
also true for Deaf children. Deaf psychologist, Sharon Ridgeway
(University of Preston 1995 ) cited deprivation of language during the
early years as responsible for the high incidence of mental health
problems among Deaf people (37% compared to 17% in the general
population).
Provision of SLI or captioned access to children’s (hearing) theatre
alone does not constitute contact with Deaf native arts and culture. In
arguing for access to Deaf arts and culture for their children, Deaf
people, like other minority linguistic and cultural groups in the UK, are
often accused of exhibiting the more negative aspects of nationalism
(Jonathan Ree – hearing philosopher and writer- See Hear October
2004).
Although BSL is now recognised as a British Language, Deaf Culture
is absent from the curriculum in most schools that deaf children
attend. However, enlightened schools now programme elements of
Deaf Studies so that deaf children can explore Deaf Identity and
Culture. Deaf artists have been part of this trend running workshops
and projects, often in partnership with mainstream arts organisations.
Funding
Type document headline here and on the following page if required
10 of 20
Most funders seem to be unaware of the linguistic oppression of
some Deaf Artists. There is some evidence of misunderstanding
concerning funding applications from some Deaf artists who are not
fully English literate. Lack of competence in written English has been
dismissed as lack of intelligence and ability. Some artists have been
forced to be dependent on the ideas and fundraising abilities of
hearing practitioners rather than being able to secure funding for their
own ideas. Some have paid fundraisers including deaf fundraisers to
write applications for them.
Some Disability Arts agencies have provided fundraising and
marketing skills training events for hearing disabled artists and have
provided access for Deaf artists to these events – loops, speedtext
and SLIs. However, deaf artists subscribing to these events do not
identify with Deaf culture. There is a perhaps a need for research
into low-to-zero take-up rates of training provided by non-deaf
practitioners and agencies. Certainly, there is a good take up rate for
a range of training provided by deaf trainers. However, there is a
capacity issue concerning Deaf Trainers who are BSL fluent. In
addition, some deaf people provide training but have insufficient
experience and skills or qualifications (where applicable) in
fundraising and other aspects of arts management and practice or,
indeed, the key principles of delivering good training. There is a need
to monitor and evaluate the quality of training and consultancy
provided by Deaf and deaf practitioners and to assess the potential
of establishing “training the trainers” programming.
In assessing funding applications that relate to staging Deaf Arts
events or arts events that target the Deaf community, funders may
need input from Deaf consultants who have a comprehensive
understanding of Deaf Culture and issues concerning BSL. Many
people know “a bit of sign language” but have zero contact in the
Deaf community or within Deaf Arts. It’s essential that the ideas and
proposals of Deaf Artists and those who strive to target Deaf
audiences can be assessed by their linguistic and cultural peer group
representatives as well as mainstream arts professionals.
4
Project Team discussion
Type document headline here and on the following page if required
11 of 20
The project team had been suspended at the time of writing this
paper.
5
Targets
If possible try and give some idea of targets to be achieved. They
should come under 3 sub sections:

Targets for the Arts Council
All staff to be actively aware of 2003 recognition of BSL as a British
Language alongside implications for clients/RFOS and Deaf people
of DDA
Training for all staff not only in Deaf Awareness and Deaf Arts
Awareness*
Regional Action Plans for BSL access to Arts Council and client/RFO
provision (there will be regional variation in line with availability of
MRSLIs etc)
Regional Action Plans for programming Deaf Arts
Action plan for accepting funding reports in BSL on video/DVD
Recognition for the culturo-linguisitic model of Deaf people who use
BSL
Priority of quality SLI provision both at Arts Council and RFO/client
events
Ensure that Deaf arts students, artists and practitioners also have
access to suitably qualified SLIs
Funding for arts management, arts practice and CPD training for
Deaf artists and practitioners which is led by BSL fluent Deaf
practitioners
Funding and support for partnership Deaf Arts programming which
involves Deaf artists and deaf children in schools

Targets for mainstream arts organisations to achieve
All staff to be actively aware of 2003 recognition of BSL as a British
Language alongside implications for clients/RFOS and Deaf people
of DDA
Policy on provision of SLIs to include evaluation of all SLI
performances and events where SLI services have been used
including support services for artists and employees
Move beyond access considerations to actively programming Deaf
led initiatives and Deaf Arts events
Type document headline here and on the following page if required
12 of 20
Work in partnership with Deaf artists and practitioners in delivering
these programmes
Training for all staff in Deaf Awareness and Deaf Arts Awareness
Recognition for the culturo-linguisitic model of Deaf people who use
BSL

Targets for disability arts organisations to achieve
All staff to be actively aware of 2003 recognition of BSL as a British
Language alongside implications for clients/RFOS and Deaf people
of DDA
Policy on provision of SLIs to include evaluation of all SLI
performances and events where SLI services have been used
including support services for artists and employees
Move beyond access considerations to actively programming Deaf
Arts initiatives and Deaf Arts events
Work in partnership with Deaf artists and practitioners in delivering
these programmes
Programme joint arts initiatives that bring disabled and deaf artists
together e.g. Nasty Girls performances have united disabled and
deaf actresses and on occasion audiences
Training for all staff in Deaf Awareness and Deaf Arts Awareness
Recognition for the culturo-linguisitic model of Deaf people who use
BSL
6
Recommendations
In this section list numerically the recommendations you are making
to the Project Team. They may be recommendations about the
working of the Project Team itself or more importantly
recommendations on the subject area for inclusion in the Disability
Strategy.
1. Some Deaf Arts practitioners see the establishment of
revenue-funded, regional Deaf Arts Agencies as the way
forward for Deaf Arts Development. Others reject this as
being an unnecessary intervention that risks diverting
funds to sustaining deaf versions of Disability Arts
agencies with offices and huge salaries for staff and away
from Deaf Arts projects, programming and artists. Some
Disability Arts agencies actively claim to represent Deaf
artists. For example Shape employs has two p/t Deaf Arts
Type document headline here and on the following page if required
13 of 20
Officer posts and other agencies include Deaf Arts
provision in their publicity material. However, some Deaf
artists reject such provision, saying that they want to work
directly with the mainstream and not through Disability Arts
agents. These debates needs further discussion and
should comprise a subject area for the Strategy.
2. Information concerning Deaf Arts is often difficult to access
as it can be “buried” in the websites of higher education
establishments, Deaf organizations and Disability or other
arts organizations. There have been some attempts at
providing more discreet sources of Deaf Arts information
e.g. various deaf arts yahoo groups etc. However, these
news groups and ezines rarely contain information about
Deaf Arts per se and merely recycle information about Sign
Interpreted and captioned events and jobs. There is a
need to examine how Arts Council can produce or support
the production of discreet information and guides in a
variety of accessible forms e.g. internet, DVDs, print for:





Deaf Artists and practitioners
Deaf Arts career seekers and students
Arts organizations and venues
Sign Language Interpreters (introduction to working
in the arts and glossaries)
Other Funders
3. There are many issues concerning training for Deaf
people, some of which have been covered, albeit briefly, in
this programme. The strategy needs to address the
particular needs and experiences of Deaf people with
regard to training. There is a need to examine reasons for
low take-up by Deaf people of training which targets
hearing and disabled artists and practitioners. There is a
need to monitor the quality of existing training and evaluate
its relevance to Deaf people. There is a need to
acknowledge Deaf Escape’s position where Arts Council
and other arts agencies have been criticized for prioritizing
access and training for Deaf people rather than
opportunities to pursue and deliver their own work and gain
support for developing their arts practice.
Type document headline here and on the following page if required
14 of 20
4.
Deaf Theatre and Sign Language Theatre are arguably poor
relations to the historical development of theatre in general.
This is partly because Deaf Theatre development was driven
underground for a century but in comparison with other theatre
that was similarly driven underground e.g. Scots , Irish,
Caribbean Theatre, regeneration of Deaf Theatre has been
slow and has made little progress artistically. There is a need
for Arts Council to commission research into the reasons for
this and to evaluate the future potential of Deaf performance
arts, not to mention the potential audience for such artforms.
7.
Further sources of information
In this section list include books, publications, academic pieces,
names and addresses of disability led organisations and artists,
disability pressure groups and lobbies, websites – including
government and international.
Paddy Ladd
Paddy Ladd
Dr ? Conrad
Arthur F. Dimmock
Dorothy S. Miles
F.M. McAdam Woolley
(Maggie Woolley)
Maggie Woolley
Cathy Woolley
Cathy Woolley
“Deaf Arts “ in DA21- Disability Arts in
the 21st Century
Holton Lee February 2002
“Deafhood and Deaf Arts” unpublished
paper to the DABU seminar
Bournemouth University February 2004
“The Deaf School Child” Harper Collins
1979
“Tommy”- A Biography of the
Distinguished Deaf Royal Painter
www.forestbooks.com
“A History of Theatre Activities in the
Deaf Community of the United States”
unpublished thesis Connecticut College
1974
“Deaf Theatre” unpublished BA
dissertation Glasgow University
Department of Film Theatre and
Television 1985
Sign Interpreted Theatre – Shape
Occasional Papers 1995
“Deaf Escape” – presentation to Above
and Beyond Festival Cheltenham 2003
“Deaf Visual Arts” – presentation to
Type document headline here and on the following page if required
15 of 20
Cathy Woolley
Paula Garfield
Steve Webb
Sharon Ridgeway
Deaf Arts Uk
National Union of the Deaf
National Union of the Deaf
www. royaldeaf.org.uk
Arts Council South East for artgenies
2004
Access for Deaf People to Musuems
and Galleries Deafworks 2001
“Deafinitely Theatre” DAIL 2003
“Deaf Theatre” unpublished paper to
the DABU seminar Bournemouth
University February 2004
Deafness and Mental Health- paper to
the Deaf Way seminar at university of
Preston 1995 (check title and date)
Deaf Arts UK – magazine, online
version soon www.shapearts.org.uk
Blueprint for the Future NUD
publications 1976
The Rights of the Deaf Child NUD
publications 1981
weekly updates on arts jobs and events
deafandcreative.ac.uk weekly updates
of Deaf arts jobs, training opportunities
and events
www.rnid.org.uk
Jobs, events and listings of Sign
Interpreted and captioned performance
www. deafclub.co.uk
weekly ezine to 3000 subscribers
weekly updates re jobs, events plus
Deaf global news
information about sign performance in
www.spit.org.uk
theatre
www.deafandcreative.ac.uk Deaf arts education, Deaf artist profiles.
news, jobs, opportunities and events
www.forestbooks.co.uk
Online bookshop with comprehensive
and international catalogue of Deaf
studies and other deaf-related
literature, videos and CDs
8
Document control
Fill out the table below so that we know what version of a document
we are using
Type document headline here and on the following page if required
16 of 20
Title
Deaf Arts and Sign Language Arts
Author
Maggie Woolley
Version
1
Date of version 27.10.04
Type document headline here and on the following page if required
17 of 20
ATTACHMENT
Deaf Arts related Definitions
From Maggie Woolley Maggie@artgenies.com
Term
British Sign Language (BSL)
Sign Supported English (SSE)
Fingerspelling
Definition
BSL is the first or preferred language of approximately 50-70,0
Deaf people in the UK. Many thousands of hearing people also
use BSL. BSL was recognised as a British Language by the UK
government in March 2003.
BSL uses space and movement of the face, upper body and
hands.
Deaf blind people perceive BSL through holding the upper wris
of the person who signs. This is known as “hands on” BSL.
Many people who are seen signing are using SSE. SSE is not
language but a communication method. It is English or a
rendering of English with added signs.
Fingerspelling comprises a sign for each letter of the alphabet.
The UK fingerspelling alphabet uses two hands whilst most oth
countries have one-handed alphabets.
Lipspeaker & Lipreading
A lipspeaker is a hearing person who acts as a professional aid
communication between deaf and hearing people. Lipspeakers
silently repeat a speaker's message as it is being spoken and th
deaf person lipreads them.
British Sign Language /English
Interpreters
Commonly known as Sign Language Interpreters or SLIs (not
“signers”) BSL/English Interpreters work for Deaf and hearing
people. When a Deaf person signs, the interpreter conveys the
meaning of what has been signed in spoken English. When a
hearing person speaks, the interpreter presents the meaning o
what has been said in BSL. BSL/English Interpreters are skilled
and trained to work in both languages in order to facilitate
effective communication between Deaf and hearing people.
MRSLI
Member of the Register of Sign Language Interpreters. A
Member of the Register is an interpreter who has met nationall
recognised standards which have been agreed by the IRP.
BSL/English Interpreters must be highly skilled in the use of BS
and English. They must also possess appropriate levels of
knowledge about interpreting and professional conduct and be
competent practitioners in a variety of settings.
Type document headline here and on the following page if required
18 of 20
Trainee Interpreter (TI)
The Trainee Interpreter is an interpreter who is working toward
becoming a Member of the Register. Trainee Interpreters will
have attained BSL skills that have been assessed at Level 4 N
or equivalent, together with an agreed standard of English Skill
Junior Trainee Interpreters (JTI) will have been assessed at Le
3 NVQ or equivalent. They are still developing their language a
interpreting skills and may not have had a great deal of practica
experience of interpreting.
Sign Interpreted Performance
Often confusingly described as “Signed Performance”. Provisio
in stage productions (theatre, musicals opera etc.) whereby on
or more Sign Language Interpreters (not Signers) render the
performance in BSL for Deaf audience members.
A generic term used to describe 9 million people who comprise
wide range experience and who may describe themselves as
being: hard of hearing, deafened, deaf, Deaf etc. RNID and ma
other sources (Deaf Arts and Deaf TV) often use the phrase “d
and hard of hearing people” in the same way.
Child of Deaf Adults. Shorthand term used by the Deaf
Community and in Deaf Studies. This refers to hearing adults
who have BSL as a first language through being born and raise
in the Deaf Community.
People who are deaf, use BSL and see themselves as cultural
deaf, began using the upper case D about 20 years ago in orde
to create a clear distinction between medical model terminolog
(hearing impaired, profoundly deaf etc.) and themselves as
belonging primarily to a linguistic minority.
Deaf people are proud of their language and culture and share
strong sense of common experience and sensibilities which we
call Deaf Identity.
Deaf people use the term culture to denote their way of life and
experience which stems from sign language.
Deaf Arts are the creative expression of Deaf experience and
reflect Deaf Identity, Sign Language and Deaf Culture. Deaf Ar
are created and managed by Deaf People.
Artforms such as Deaf Theatre, BSL Poetry, BSL Storytelling a
unique to Deaf Arts. Deaf Arts hybrids have developed as Dea
people have gained more access to technology e.g. Sign Danc
Sign Song/Karaoke, Deaf Film and digital arts etc.
Deaf and Hearing people create works which do not necessaril
reflect Deaf experience, Deaf Identity and Deaf Culture but are
usually accessible to Deaf People through the use of Sign
Language. Sign Language Arts are not necessarily created or
deaf people
CODA
Deaf people
Deaf Identity
Deaf Culture
Deaf Arts
Sign Language Arts
Type document headline here and on the following page if required
19 of 20
performed by Deaf people e.g. non deaf theatre companies
where actors sign or integrated theatre and dance companies.
NOTES
I have not referred to ACCESS issues e.g. assistive devices infra
red, loops, Palantype, Speedtext, Textphone etc, captioning as I
believe these should be dealt with in the ACCESS section.
Hearing Impaired/impairment stems from medical and educational
provision models and should not be advocated as “a general term
covering all degrees of hearing loss”. When a generic term is needed
arts industries should refer to deaf people or deaf and hard of
hearing people (recommended buy the RNID).
Similarly “sensory impairment” is not a useful term in the strategy.
This is purely medical model in origin. Visually impaired people and
deaf people enjoy very different experience and there is no logical
reason why the arts industries should need a term which describes
them as a group.
D/deaf … I am not sure who invented this. I first saw it in an arts
document but not one that was produced by Deaf people. We should
have definite not dithering definitions and terms. Similarly Learning
Difficulty/Disability is too confusing. If we must please everyone then
say Learning Difficulties and Disabilities. However, as explained
above, the term deaf people includes Deaf people.
Type document headline here and on the following page if required
20 of 20