Deafinitely Theatre today announces it has been awarded an Arts Council Strategic Touring Grant of £81,008 for the period 2017-2019 allowing it to take two bilingual family productions around the UK, as well as a programme of workshops and deaf awareness training in each of the touring venues.
Artistic Director of Deafinitely Theatre Paula Garfield said today, “I am delighted that we have been awarded this funding. It will enable us to take our bilingual family show out to a wider audience that will include families who use both British Sign Language and spoken English. This means deaf children with hearing brothers and sisters or deaf grandparents with hearing grandchildren can all go to the theatre and enjoy this experience as a family together. By receiving this funding, the Arts Council are enabling us to reach deaf people all over the country who rarely have the opportunity to see a bilingual family show. I am so excited about this opportunity and can’t wait to get our shows out on the road!”
Joyce Wilson, Arts Council England’s Area Director for London, said, “Each venue involved in Deafinitely’s tours will develop their knowledge of local d/Deaf audiences and the skills required to fully integrate accessible productions, enabling bilingual (English and British Sign Language) work to be seen by a huge number of people who may have not previously engaged with it.”
Details of Deafinitely Theatre’s tour for May 2017 will be announced shortly. The tour is also generously supported by Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
Founded in 2002, Deafinitely Theatre is an independent, professional Deaf-led company. Their bilingual productions – in British Sign Language and spoken English – are made from a Deaf perspective and aim to provide a platform for untold Deaf stories, reflecting and exploring Deaf culture by bringing it centre stage. Recent productions include: Grounded (Park Theatre), Something Else (Stratford Circus Arts Centre and tour), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Globe Theatre), Two (Southwark Playhouse).
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