The Edinburgh Deaf Festival is back for 2025, with a vibrant programme of shows and events embracing everything from new drama to comedy, music and magic.
After a long, tough but ultimately successful campaign, this unique annual celebration of deaf culture, is laying the foundations for future expansion after securing three-year funding from Creative Scotland.
Last night saw the launch of a programme featuring more than 70 scheduled events and activities from 8-17 August.
Among those taking part in the fourth annual festival are comedians John Smith and Gavin Lilley and Gaelic and Scots singer and musician Evie Waddell, who are all well-known to hearing audiences.
There will be a specially commissioned production written and directed by Nadia Nadarajah, who recently earned huge acclaim as Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra at The Globe.
Nadia, who is also the festival’s Creative Programmer, said: “This year, we’ve got a lot that’s new, so we can deliver even more of what we know the deaf community wants.
“And we are doing much more to engage with hearing audiences, to give them the opportunity to discover something new by experiencing deaf culture and the work of enormously talented deaf performers.
“Last year was very difficult because of funding challenges and the future looked very uncertain. We had a real struggle but we were persistent, and didn’t want to give up.
“So, I am really excited, because finally we’ve got the three-year funding from Creative Scotland, which is amazing and gives us the stability to grow in coming years.”
As part of the drive to expand the festival’s reach among hearing audiences Evie will perform at Summerhall as well as the Deaf Action HQ and venue in Albany Street.
Among the highlights in this year’s programme are:
- Echoes Across Time: Three women, three timelines. In 2000 and 2012 deaf women vanished without explanation. In 2025 small traces of their lives begin to reappear. A specially commissioned new production by Nadia Nadarajah. Performed in BSL with English voiceover for hearing audiences.
- John Smith Show’s 20 Years of Laughter: Celebrate two decades of sharp wit and non-stop laughter with one of the UK’s best-known deaf comedians.
- Deaffy Drag Queeny: Glitter, Gags and GSV: Deaffy drag queens Mary and Danielle bring cheeky charm, outrageous wit and deaf gay Pride to the stage.
- Ivory Cutlery by Evie Wadell: Let your imagination run wild with Evie Waddell as she presents a visual and musical storytelling experience inspired by the magnificently eccentric Scottish poet and singer Ivor Cutler.
- Gavin Lilley: Signs of the Times: A hugely popular deaf comedian who bridges the gap with hearing audiences with his fresh take on everything from parenthood to travel misadventures.
- Magic Morgan and Liliana: A family-friendly show packed with illusions, comedy and mime.
- Scratch Night: An evening of bold new ideas from comedy to experimental acts – raw creativity which may be the next big thing.
Organised by Deaf Action (the world’s oldest deaf charity and deaf-led organisation which dates back 190 years to 1835) the festival continues the pioneering work that made Edinburgh a world-leader in championing the interests of deaf people.
Philip Gerrard, CEO of organisers Deaf Action, said: “We have been at the heart of efforts to promote the interests of the deaf community for 190 years, and the Edinburgh Deaf Festival continues that pioneering work.
“We fought hard to keep it alive, and now it is back and stronger than ever.
“The deaf community has a lively, vibrant and distinctive culture – along with a multitude of highly talented performers and other creatives.
“This 10-day festival is a unique chance for deaf people to come together to enjoy and celebrate that culture and to provide a platform for deaf performers to reach hearing audiences and have more of a presence in the performing arts mainstream.”
Other festival events include a networking session with Scottish-based theatre company Solar Bear, allowing deaf and hearing creatives to connect, a pub quiz, karaoke, discussions, parties and film screenings.
There will be comedy and drama workshops, guided tours of The Georgian House, the Royal Botanic Garden and National Galleries Scotland.
A festival Youth Club for deaf young people aged 10-18 will run from 8-10 August and there will be a parent and toddler group.
The festival, which runs in collaboration with the Fringe, is also working with Summerhall, the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh International Book Festival to provide a range of accessible events.
An interpreter and captioning request service will allow deaf people to arrange an interpreter or captioner for Fringe shows that are not accessible.
Deaf Action is working with local businesses to create The Edinburgh Signing Quarter, a network of deaf-friendly cafes and bars in the Broughton Street and Canonmills area.
- See edinburghdeaffestival.com.
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Notes for editors
- See the Edinburgh Deaf Festival website at https://edinburghdeaffestival.co.uk.
- Tickets available through the Fringe box office at https://www.edfringe.com.
Festival supporters and sponsors: We would like to thank our supporters and sponsors including Creative Scotland, signwow, Heriot-Watt University, and Baillie Gifford.
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/
Signwow: signwow is a deaf-owned and deaf-led online BSL interpreting service based in the UK. They are committed to empowering Deaf people to connect, communicate, and contribute by providing inclusive, accessible services that celebrate Deaf culture and promote equality in everyday life. They are a sponsor of this year’s Edinburgh Deaf Festival.
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 Matthew@ScottishfestivalsPR.org.