New video podcast helps to empower deaf creatives

A new video podcast series aimed at amplifying the voices of deaf professionals in the creative, sports and entertainment industries has just been launched by UK social enterprise Hear Art.

Titled Shaping Tomorrow, this is the first deaf-led video podcast of its kind, and has been created with a 90% deaf production team. Each of its four episodes explores the career journeys of deaf professionals, uncovering the challenges they've faced and how the landscape has evolved over time.

The first episode is exclusively available on YouTube, with the rest to be released every two weeks. At the start of November, each episode will follow on Spotify, Audible, and Apple Podcasts.

Architecture to acting

Episode one sees designer and entrepreneur Wayne Hemingway MBE have an open and honest conversation with deaf architect Christopher Laing about their comparative experiences and journeys through the same industry. Christopher speaks of the limitations faced by deaf architects and founding the DAF (Deaf Architecture Front) and its support for young people looking to follow in his footsteps.

Episode two sees make-up artist Caroline Barnes sit down with deaf make-up artist Nicky Weir. The two chat about how being profoundly deaf yet incredibly visual helped Nicky on her journey. She also discusses how ruthless the make-up world can be for deaf people and what improvements can be made to how things currently work.

"When I started out, people would laugh at how I speak and tell me, 'Nicky, get that phone', knowing that I can't because I won't be able to hear," she says. "I think people just need to be more supportive, have a bit of understanding, encourage us to actually get into the industry, and be welcomed into the industry. I want to pass the baton on to those who really want to do this without the hurdles."

In episode three, deaf mountaineer Michael Woods chats to adventurer and solo expeditionist James Aiken about the obstacles he faces in achieving his dream of climbing Mount Everest. He discusses the hardship of navigation during mountain climbing when you need to sign BSL in foggy conditions, read it with a headlight in your face, or call 999 in case of an emergency.

Episode four sees actress Maxine Peake speak to deaf actress Sophie Stone, who was always told that she wouldn't be able to make a living as a deaf actor. But even when she proved them wrong and forged a career in the profession, she was always given subdued roles and deaf characters, whilst she longed to have roles full of life. She chats about learning how to speak for different roles, her doubts about herself, and the fact that she has to work twice as hard as her peers.

"I wanted to play hearing roles, scripts that didn't necessarily have a deaf storyline, characters that fall in love, have an amazing sex life, or gun down loads of people, hold up a bank or whatever," she explains. "I was never given those roles. I was given the vulnerable, sad, the pathetic, the lonely, the weak woman. I was fed up with that. I was given the subserving roles, the roles to be pitied, and I was really frustrated throughout that time."

Supporting creative talent

An award-winning Community Interest Company (CIC), Hear Art was co-founded in 2020 by visual artist, producer, and academic Cindy Sasha and TV actress and writer Rachel Shenton, who won an Oscar for her short film The Silent Child in 2018. Both have deaf family members and want to support the creative talents within the deaf community.

Hear Art has already successfully produced four deaf-led short films that gained commercial success in the short film festival circuit and saw podcasting as the next step. The organisation was the first to introduce the 50% deaf and 50% hearing crew/cast employment model in the TV and film industry, improving employment and commercial opportunities for deaf creatives.

The Shaping Tomorrow video podcast is fully accessible to all deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences. It features inclusive British Sign Language (BSL), captions/subtitles, and complete transcripts to ensure an engaging and inclusive experience for all.

"Podcasts offer an alternative way to access information and storytelling," says producer Cindy Sasha. "I realised how podcasts are exclusively hearing experiences, so I created and produced an inclusive video podcast for everyone to enjoy and be inspired by deaf voices and stories."

Neglected voices

Sam Arnold, recently a producer on the award-winning film Name Me Lawand, about a deaf child born during the Iraq war, brought together the crew for the podcast. "I know that many talented deaf voices have been neglected or overlooked by all industries," he explains. "Cindy and I shared the same vision to create a platform for them.

"As a deaf director, I am passionate about enhancing the video podcast experience to immerse deaf and hearing viewers," he adds. "It is particularly important for deaf viewers who are disadvantaged and unable to access many podcasts that are audio only or end up watching unengaging shots of two people talking."

Hear Art co-founder Rachel Shenton says, "Shaping Tomorrow's conversations is so exciting as it's our first independent venture. As ever, we are committed to encouraging the deaf and hearing communities to work together and learn from each other, and these conversations are a perfect way of doing that."