Deaf Arts

Deaf Arts Practitioners Network
The Deaf Arts Practitioners Network (DAPN) in London shares information, practices networking skills, talks about their own work/practice/business/arts projects. This work-focused Network supports D/deaf writers, dancers, actors, performers and deaf people contributing to the arts. Convenor of the DAPN, Laraine Callow, writes a regular e-news. The directory of past e-newsletters can be found here.

Access for deaf people to museums and galleries:
A review of good practice in London
“Deafworks has been involved in promoting access for deaf people for many years. There are some outstanding models of good practice in museums and galleries, and we felt some research to highlight these, and to share them with the wider visual arts community, would be timely.

“We examined the access provisions and practices that make some mainstream arts venues in London well attended by deaf patrons and visitors. The majority of recommendations will also be very helpful for many other organisations – they have the potential to be useful cross-artform. Access issues interlink: if one area of access work is planned well then it has a positive effect on another area, so standards will spiral upwards. The report is an endorsement of the positive work for deaf audiences at museums and galleries.”

Facebook Deaf Arts groups
Are you a practising deaf artist – in the field of visual arts, dance, music or theatre. If so, join us by clicking here.

Support group for Arts presenters
Laraine runs an on-line support group for deaf presenters to discuss issues around giving talks to deaf and hearing audiences. Email Laraine at lc@deafworks.co.uk telling us a bit about yourself and we will add you to the confidential yahoo group.

Snapshot of D/deaf Arts
This is a piece of research which looked at D/deaf Arts between June-August 2009. It was commissioned by the Arts Council and was conducted by Laraine Callow and Sarah Scott. Here are some of the areas that the report covers:
- What individuals, companies and organisations are doing at the moment?
- What do D/deaf artists want for themselves?
- What exists now? Where are gaps and opportunities?
See here for the full contents page of the report.

Mentoring Deaf Artists
We are currently exploring a peer-mentor support group and are looking to work with a couple of art galleries and funders to make this happen. Email Laraine at lc@deafworks.co.uk if you would like to join and what you would like from it.

Deaf Arts Audit:
Research into the provision of arts activities for deaf people in England (1996)

This project examines the full range of arts activities involving deaf people in England and presents The Arts Council with an audit and information on all issues relating to deaf people in the arts collated during 1995.

A copy is currently being sold on Amazon.

If you would like our free five-page summary (or a copy of the report) email general@deafworks.co.uk.

See here for an independent review (published in TALK magazine) of the Audit.

Selected articles

2000
‘Inaudible but Accessible’, Museum Practice, 2000, pp.

‘Opening Up! Access for deaf and hard of hearing people to arts, cultural and tourism venues’, Talk (NDCS), Summer 2000, pp. 1

‘Inclusive talks: creating access for deaf people’, Arts Business, March 2000, pp. 1

1999
‘Improve your BSL! and Opening Up reviewed’, Disability Arts in London, Sept/Oct 1999, pp. 1, pp. 2