Tickets go on sale today for the second annual Edinburgh Deaf Festival following yesterday’s programme launch – which featured an invitation for everyone to come along.
The 2023 line-up has more than 60 events including drama, comedy, film, exhibitions, entertainment for children and young people plus workshops and other activities.
Taking place from 11-20 August as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe it gives deaf people access to the arts in a new and exciting way and allows others to discover a rich culture.
The organisers and performers are encouraging hearing people to see the shows and 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: “As a deaf producer, I am thrilled to be bringing Edinburgh Deaf Festival back for another spectacular year. I’m proud to have curated a programme that celebrates the vibrancy of my own deaf culture, right here in Edinburgh.
“We have collaborated with talented local and international deaf artists, proving that deafness is not a limitation but a reason for celebration. We’re breaking down barriers, creating an inclusive space for the deaf community, and extending a warm welcome to hearing audiences who we would love to try something different by discovering deaf culture, language and heritage.”
Yesterday’s launch, which saw supporters and artists gather at The National Museum of Scotland, included performances by Amy Murray and Petre Dobre.
Amy, who appeared in the Netflix fantasy The Witcher: Blood Origin alongside Sir Lenny Henry, will be performing her show Red Aphrodite at the festival.
Inspired by Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues, it’s a funny and relatable exploration of sex, passion, female empowerment and the awkward side of femininity – it’s a show that breaks down barriers and challenges taboos.
Amy said: “I’m really looking forward to the festival and would love to see lots of hearing people in the audience, so they can find out more about deaf identity and language.
“The festival is also great for deaf performers as it provides a platform for our work, a chance to build connections and an opportunity to get together and have fun.”
Petre features in the short films Mask of the Cowboy and Balmaha as well as presenting his children’s show Visual Fun With Sports.
Philip Gerrard, CEO of organisers Deaf Action, added: “After the success of last year’s ground-breaking Edinburgh Deaf Festival, we’re delighted to be coming back again this year, even bigger and better. 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.”
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.
- Faslane: Amy Helena presents her adaptation of a Fringe First winning show that dissects Scotland’s nuclear debate. Adapted to British Sign Language (BSL) it’s inspired by interviews with those close to the issue, including activists and MoD personnel.
- 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.
- 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.
Nadia Nadarajah, Edinburgh Deaf Festival Ambassador, said: “I am thrilled to be returning to Edinburgh Deaf Festival in my role as ambassador. 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, and I am looking forward to seeing what they have to offer.
“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.”
Fiona Mackay, Chief Operating Officer of festival supporters SignLive, added: “SignLive are delighted to be the headline sponsor for the Edinburgh Deaf Festival, 2023. The Edinburgh Deaf Festival is an accessible celebration of deaf culture, language and heritage, which heavily reflects SignLive’s values.
“It is an event we feel honoured and excited to support and promote, with the events being accessible to deaf people and mainstream audiences the Edinburgh Deaf Festival is an amazing opportunity for everyone to immerse themselves in deaf culture and enjoy the rich variety of performances.”
- 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.
Picture by Colin Hattersley.
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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].