I’m not quite sure how I’m supposed to sum up how I feel about this project.
This happened last Saturday. A flash mob made up of the amazing Happy Snappers (a group of Deaf, hard of hearing and hearing BSL users) and Liverpool’s Rock Choir. We were at the Williamson Art Gallery and Museum where our current exhibition ‘I’ll Tell You Later’ is currently showing.
I’ve been working with this group since January and the exhibition shines a light on the Deaf experience of living in a hearing world and the importance of British Sign Language and true accessibility to create a more inclusive society.
So for weeks and weeks the group have been practicing all of the songs ready for the flash mob in the gallery space. Nobody knew exactly how many people would be there but as you can see, it was a full house… and I can’t even start to tell you what it meant in that moment.
The world and all the spaces that we use and spend time in are set up for hearing people. So for every interaction, whether that’s a GP appointment, a train journey or a visit to your local art gallery or museum.. the barriers and lack of access is a constant, exhausting battle and a recurring message ‘You do not belong here’.
This exhibition was about breaking down that barrier and to reclaim a narrative. To transfer the power and the ownership by connecting the two worlds, sharing the group’s personal stories and to create a Deaf space.
I felt it on launch night. A room full of vibrant conversation in sign language, the Deaf members owning the space like you so often see at Deaf club and in other Deaf spaces. And then on Saturday, with the flash mob I saw it again, and this time it felt like an overflowing joyful message, standing proud to announce (to quote from one of the songs) ‘This is Me’…and this is our space too.
And I can’t tell you how important this feels. I’ve worked in the arts and with cultural organisations for a long time and most will say that they’re accessible but how many of your events are interpreted? How many exhibitions offer BSL translation? How many BSL gallery tours do you offer? Do you have a relationship with your local Deaf organisation? Are your staff team deaf aware and do they have basic BSL? Have you shown any work by Deaf artists? Do you know if Deaf people even visit?
To be accessible you first need to understand, and to understand you need to put the effort in. Just because your doors are open doesn’t mean that people feel welcome. Deaf people deserve to access these spaces just as much as us hearing folk and on Saturday it felt like that message was proudly delivered, loud and clear.
Text: Emma Case
Video: Tom Millington