More than 100 leading figures from the arts, business, charity and politics gathered last night to welcome the programme launch of the Edinburgh Deaf Festival.
Organisers Deaf Action and their supporters, including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, say they hope it will become an annual event.
Unique in Scotland and the rest of the UK the performing arts festival will run from 12-19 August, will be a celebration of deaf culture, language and heritage.
The event is deaf-led in its organisation, production and its shows and events. It will feature drama, magic, comedy, cabaret, tours and exhibitions, and even a spectacular deaf rave.
Philip Gerrard, CEO of Deaf Action, said: “A few years ago there was a debate organised by the Fringe about whether we should have a deaf festival. At the end of that session I stood up and said ‘I will make this happen’. And three years later, here we are. It is so thrilling.
“It is lovely to see such a range of people here tonight to join us to celebrate the programme launch.
“The festival will be a real celebration of our language, culture, heritage and the variety of people that make up our community.
“What’s more the programme we have tonight is just the first edition and we have more events to add in the coming weeks.”
The programme launch, at Bonnie & Wild, St James Quarter, brought together performers and supporters including Fringe CEO Shona McCarthy, plus representatives from EventScotland, the Scottish Government and St James Quarter.
Shona McCarthy, said: “The Edinburgh Fringe is really proud to be associated with the first deaf festival in Scotland.
“I am completely thrilled to see this happen. It’s amazing to see Deaf Action, and the all the community, come together to put together such a comprehensive programme. And they’re still adding to it.
“I’m just so proud of everybody in this room tonight. I think this is something that’s going to continue into the future and I hope it becomes an annual addition to the festivals landscape.”
Festival highlights will include:
- Perspectives with Gavin: International standup Gavin Lilley shares his experiences as a deaf person navigating a hearing world.
- SPILL YOUR DRINK: Deaf cabaret from Glasgow’s Solar Bear theatre company which works with deaf and hearing actors, theatre makers, artists and young people.
- Deaf Rave: with leading deaf DJs including DJ Chinaman, MC Geezer, DJ Ceri Karma, Jia McKenzie and Billy Reid in an underground car park in the St James’ Quarter.
- The Funny Punny Magic Show: with the acclaimed Tricky Ricky.
- Once Upon A Raindrop: Cheerful, funny, magic show for toddlers with a walkthrough performance with sensory games and magic tricks.
Christina McKelvie, Minister for Equalities and Older People, said: “I warmly welcome the Edinburgh Deaf Festival to Scotland’s festivals family this year and thank Deaf Action for their work in organising.
“This inaugural festival will highlight the wonders of deaf culture and its arts which will be a showcase of how communities can come together to enjoy inclusive and accessible entertainment, stories and cultural enrichment.
“In our Culture Strategy for Scotland, the Scottish Government set out our goal of supporting everyone, regardless of background, language or disability, to lead a cultural life of their choice, with all aspects of cultural engagement available to them.
“This festival will be fully aligned with our government’s intention to ultimately make Scotland the best place in the world for people who sign to live, work, visit and learn – so that people whose primary language is BSL will be fully involved in all areas of daily and public life in Scotland.”
Edinburgh Deaf Festival will also feature tours, exhibitions, workshops and book clubs.
Performances will include a mix of deaf and hearing artists. All will be interpreted and captioned – and will be inclusive for hearing people as well as the deaf and hard of hearing.
Deaf Action will also be working with the Fringe to make its own events more accessible.
Edinburgh Deaf Festival is supported by Creative Scotland, the Heritage Lottery Fund and Nancie Massey Trust.
The festival will also feature an exhibition and screening as part of Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022, which has been designed to spotlight, celebrate and promote the wealth of deaf-led stories inspired by, written, or created in Scotland.
- Performances will be at Deaf Action, 49 Albany Street, Edinburgh, and other venues across the city.
- The programme and tickets are available through the Edinburgh Fringe box office at https://www.edfringe.com.
- See also the Edinburgh Deaf Festival website at https://edinburghdeaffestival.co.uk.
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Notes for editors
About Deaf Action
- Deaf Action is a deaf led charity with headquarters 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.
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Deafness in numbers
- 1 million people in Scotland are deaf or have hearing loss – that’s 1 in 5 people
- 13,000 BSL users in Scotland
- 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents
- 10 million people in the UK are deaf or have hearing loss
- Between 50,000 + 70,000 BSL users in the UK
- 70% of deaf people believe they have failed to get a job because of their deafness
- 64% have experienced communication difficulties at work and over
- 50% are unable to communicate with their hearing colleagues
- 60% were looking for another job because of their treatment at work
- 19% of deaf people are unemployed compared to 5% of non- disabled people
- 74% of deaf people said they were prevented from progressing at work because of their deafness
- Research shows that the biggest barrier at work for deaf people is lack of understanding by employers of their communication needs.
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.
About EventScotland
- EventScotland is working to make Scotland the perfect stage for events by securing and supporting an exciting portfolio of sporting and cultural events. It provides funding opportunities and access to resources and information to develop the industry.
- EventScotland is a team within VisitScotland’s Events Directorate, the national tourism organisation, alongside Business Events and Development teams. For further information about EventScotland, its funding programmes and latest event news visit www.eventscotland.org or follow Twitter @EventScotNews and LinkedIn.
For media information contact Matthew Shelley at SFPR on 09786 704299 or at [email protected].