The second annual Edinburgh Deaf Festival – part of the Fringe – gets underway tomorrow with more than 60 events for anyone and everyone.
The 2023 line-up features drama, comedy, film, exhibitions, entertainment for children and young people plus workshops and other activities.
Running from 11-20 August it’s designed to appeal to hearing as well as deaf audiences.
Among those taking part in the festival, which is organised by Edinburgh-based charity Deaf Action, are Craig McCulloch and Petre Dobre.
Craig is a well-known name in the world of deaf entertainment and will be one of the big attractions in the Deaf Action cabaret and improv events.
He said: “There’s such a lot to enjoy at this year’s festival, it’s brilliant. It’s a superb opportunity to put deaf culture at the heart of Edinburgh’s festivals. Come along, try it out, it’s going to be loads of fun.”
Nadia Nadarajah, performer and Edinburgh Deaf Festival Ambassador, added: “Since last year, we’ve witnessed the remarkable growth of deaf artists and their work. This festival has played a vital role in building their confidence.
“This year, I hope for a greater recognition of the skills possessed by deaf artists worldwide, and an increase in new audiences venturing into the realm of deaf culture and arts.”
Petre is presenting a fun new family show (ideal for all aged 3+) where sports really come to life as he dives into the worlds of swimming, cycling and skateboarding to show what fun sports can be.
He said: “It doesn’t matter what your age or your taste in entertainment – we’ve got shows, talks, tours, films and workshops for you. And there’s loads for every age.
“My show aims to be just as joyous for parents as well as children, with everybody getting the chance to join in.”
The festival gives deaf people access to the arts in a new and exciting way and allows others to discover the richness of deaf heritage, language and culture.
Producing the 2023 festival on behalf of Edinburgh-based charity Deaf Action, is Glasgow multidisciplinary artist Jamie Rea who said: “We want to welcome hearing audiences to explore and enjoy the amazing talent that the deaf community has to offer.
“Not only this, but we want to offer a more inclusive festival experience for deaf people by establishing wider access options for mainstream shows.
We have developed an ‘on demand’ service so people can request an interpreter or captioner for any show they want to enjoy during the Edinburgh festival season.
“Our goal is to transform Edinburgh’s festival season into an inclusive one. Giving the deaf community greater access to mainstream festival spaces while also providing culturally specific events that celebrate the richness of our deaf culture.”
Among the festival highlights will be:
- Oddo the Starless: Stand-up comedian David Sands debuts his stage production of a dark visual story from an unknown dimension, based on short films he made during lockdown.
- Once Upon A Raindrop: One of the most successful shows of the first Edinburgh Deaf Festival is back. A funny, cheerful walk-through performance for wee ones and their grown-ups with lots of sensory games and… magic! Fun for ages 1 to 3.
- Jennifer Jordan, Improv Comedy: Performers from our workshop with Jennifer will showcase their comedy skills in this improvised performance full of laughter and spontaneity.
- Fàilte gu BSL (Welcome to BSL): Evie Waddell’s new show explores her two linguistic identities: Gaelic, and deafness. It’s a welcome for deaf people to Scottish Gaelic culture, which often hasn’t been accessible, and an invitation for hearing people to engage in BSL.
- Amy Murray – Red Aphrodite: A show that explores the awkward side of femininity – hilarious, cringe and relatable. Inspired by Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues, she aims to break down barriers and taboos surrounding womanhood. Amy appeared in Netflix’s 2022 fantasy The Witcher: Blood Origin alongside Sir Lenny Henry.
- The Gavin Lilley Show: One of the deaf community’s best-known entertainers, Gavin returns to the festival with a stand-up show aimed at hearing and deaf audiences.
- Clowning Workshop with Elf & Duffy: A special workshop to emphasise the power of clowning and mime as a performance tool. From Elf Lyons and Brian Duffy, the duo behind the Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Show nominee Heist.
Philip Gerrard, CEO of organisers Deaf Action, said: “We’re hosting over 60 events and performances, each a testament to the rich diversity and talent within the deaf community.
“Our vision is for Edinburgh to have a festival season that offers deaf people the best of both worlds; mainstream festivals which are accessible to the deaf community, plus a week of deaf culturally specific events. Integration alongside a cultural celebration gives the deaf community the opportunity to sample and enjoy the festival season in its entirety.”
- An interpreters and captioners on demand service allows deaf people to arrange an interpreter or captioner for shows that are not accessible.
- Deaf Action is working with the Fringe to increase the number of accessible shows.
- See the Edinburgh Deaf Festival website at www.edinburghdeaffestival.com.
- Tickets available through the Fringe box office at https://www.edfringe.com.
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Notes for editors
Petre Dobre: Petre became deaf as a young child. Through contact with Glasgow’s Solar Bear Theatre Company he discovered a new course for deaf actors being launched at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2015. He graduated with a BA in Performance (BSL/English) in 2018. In the same year Macrobert Arts Centre saw the potential of the new graduates and deaf artists overall, applied for funding from Creative Scotland to create a 12 month, BSL Director Trainee opportunity. Petre started that journey in June 2018. His work at Macrobert Arts Centre in Stirling has been a huge success.
Amy Murray: Amy is a Scottish actress who graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2021. At the first Edinburgh Deaf Festival she was a part of Spill Your Drink, a deaf cabaret produced by Jamie Rea. Her short set went so well that she developed it into a full-length show – Red Aphrodite. Amy is also hosting our deaf karaoke night and stars in Balmaha, the Unmuted Productions short film that was produced in 48 hours by a group of deaf artists.
About David Sands: David is a deaf comedian and actor with an impressive portfolio. From his role as Nick Bottom in a multi-lingual production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at London’s Globe Theatre to his hilarious performance as Chris in the BSL-based sitcom Small World, he has brought laughter to both deaf and hearing audiences.
About Gavin Lilley: Gavin was born to two deaf parents, comes from a family of BSL users and is a staple in deaf entertainment. In 2022, he aided in the creation of John Bishop’s stand-up set to make it more accessible for deaf people. In realising that John’s jokes just wouldn’t translate into BSL for a deaf audience he advised the rewriting and restructuring of the stand-up set, emphasising the physical and visual nature of deaf humour. He appears in the documentary Life After Deaf about John Bishop’s experiences learning about the deaf community to better understand his deaf son.
About Amy Helena: Amy is an RCS graduate who studied BA Performance in BSL and English course. An actor and theatre maker based in Glasgow, she is deaf but does not let that define her work nor her status as an actor. She believes in provoking audiences to have conversations about current issues, challenging people’s mindset and try to influence them to see things from a different perspective.
About Evie Waddell: Evie is a Gaelic and Scots singer and step dancer from Stirlingshire, who graduated from the BMus Traditional Music course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She also studied contemporary dance at the Scottish School of Contemporary Dance. She is deaf in one ear which gives her a particular relationship with sound and marginalised voices. She also plays the clarsach (harp) and fiddle.
Festival staff
- Jamie Rea – Festival Coordinator: A multidisciplinary artist raised in Northern Ireland and living in Glasgow since 2015. He was a member of the first cohort of students in the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s BA Performance in BSL and English, graduating in 2018. Jamie has progressed his artistic disciplines as a performer, producer, access officer curator, presenter, theater maker, BSL consultant in Scotland and across the UK.
- Nadia Nadarajah – Festival Ambassador: Nadia is returning in 2023 as our Festival Ambassador. Nadia is a deaf actor and BSL user, who has performed all over the world and in productions at Shakespeare’s globe theatre. As our ambassador, Nadia is helping us shape our festival for deaf audiences and helping us welcome new audiences.
- Philip Gerrard – CEO: Philip has been CEO since September 2017 and leads on strategic planning, ensuring that systems and procedures meet regulatory standards, and creating and implementing the charity’s vision. Philip has a proven track record as CEO and decades of experience as a leader in the deaf sector. As a deaf person himself, his unique perspective of deafness with both personal and professional insight.
Festival supporters and sponsors
Creative Scotland: Deaf Action was granted £20,000 from Creative Scotland to fund four new works by Scottish artists and support their development as part of Edinburgh Deaf Festival. Each were given £3k to fund their new shows and the rest has been invested in offering a support system to aid in their success in the festival.
Sign Live: Sign Live is a deaf-owned and dead-led organisation that offers interpreters on demand through a mobile and desktop app. They translate emails, letters, phone calls and meetings. It is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and offers an online solution to the needs of BSL users and businesses that want to make their communication more accessible. They Edinburgh Deaf Festival’s headline sponsor.
House of Hearing: House of Hearing provides audiology solutions such as ear wax removal, hearing tests and hearing aids. As our official captioning sponsors, they are dedicated to learning more about the needs of the deaf community and how to best fit them.
About Deaf Action
- Deaf Action is a deaf led charity based in Edinburgh, supporting people in Scotland and the South of England – see https://www.deafaction.org
- Founded in 1835 it is the world’s oldest deaf charity and the first formally constituted deaf organisation.
- It exists to support the diversity of deaf people, including deaf users of British Sign Language (BSL), and those who are deafened, deafblind or hard of hearing.
- Deaf Action’s work is geared towards empowering all deaf people to achieve their potential and fully participate in society, with equality of rights, access and opportunity.
- Almost half of the staff are deaf, and many more have grown up with deaf parents or siblings. Deaf Action truly understand the challenges deaf people face, and believes that its collective experience allows it to honestly position itself as having the expertise to unlock deaf people’s potential.
Social media: www.instagram.com/edindeaffestival/ www.twitter.com/EdinDeafFest/ www.facebook.com/EdinDeafFestival/
About Creative Scotland: Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland on behalf of everyone who lives, works or visits here. We enable people and organisations to work in and experience the arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland by helping others to develop great ideas and bring them to life. We distribute funding provided by the Scottish Government and the National Lottery. For further information about Creative Scotland please visit www.creativescotland.com. Follow us @creativescots and www.facebook.com/CreativeScotland.
For media information contact Matthew Shelley at SFPR on 07786 704299 or at [email protected].