Offsite9: Do you Understand?’ - Zebra Access, directed by Jack Smallwood
A new film produced by Jack Smallwood portrays the emotions expressed by D/deaf people via a new short BSL poem. The poem tackles the concept of dual identity with D/deafness in relation to selfhood and features people who are deaf/hard of hearing and are born, raised and live in Wolverhampton.
Can you explain your central ideas?
It was challenging to create an idea for this project. Luckily, I have a good team to discuss developing ideas with. My primary aim was to make it visual and for it to have a big impact. This is when I started thinking about a poem and adapting it into British Sign Language. The last time I wrote a poem was back in school, so I thought of my journey through childhood and how my deafness affected my childhood. I also wanted to explore other deaf people’s experiences. I did a quick draft of the poem and shared it with my team, who are also deaf. They were overcome with emotion and felt they too could relate to the poem. My next step was to work on making the poem visual and to translate it into BSL. I am fortunate to know many deaf and hard of hearing people that are either born and bred in Wolverhampton or have moved into the area. I approached them to ask if they would be interested in performing the poem in BSL which I then filmed. I wanted the poem to have an impact and to also raise awareness about deafness and the Deaf Community, especially as deafness is a hidden disability. There are many deaf people living in Wolverhampton and whilst there is a strong deaf community, there are also many hidden away, feeling isolated. I felt that this project would allow me to bring the community together and to have a positive impact on the younger deaf generation.
How are you reaching and collaborating with others?
Getting the deaf community on board is quite an arduous task for many reasons such as camera shyness, feeling exposed, nerves and so on. However, I am fortunate enough to have some good connections, especially with working at Zebra Access which is a fantastic charity that supports the Deaf Community in Wolverhampton and the Black Country. They were able to assist me with this project by helping me find the right people who were willing to be involved. I also had the opportunity to work alongside a fantastic Director of Photography, Phoebe Capewell. Phoebe is deaf and lives in London but is originally from Birmingham. It was great working with her and collaborating with the actors and the filming team.
How will the work be presented?
I was inspired to create this style of work after watching a film called Sign Night, a short film by Cathy Mager. Her film is a poetic conversation in BSL that was projected on the side of a building in Bristol, which I think is a brilliant idea. As this kind of work has not yet been seen in Wolverhampton I felt it would be good to replicate this idea by projecting the poem outside the Art Gallery in the hope that people walking past will see it, enjoy it and feel inspired. The aim is then for the film to continue to be screened inside the Art Gallery or The Light House to give different audiences the opportunity to enjoy the film.
What are your hopes for the work in the longer term?
I hope this video will change people’s perception of deafness, deaf education and to raise deaf awareness – as it’s never too late! I am also hopeful that this work will continue to inspire people that have disabilities and for it to be screened in other locations or festivals in order to reach a wider audience. I intend to submit the poem to film festivals so that the hard work of all involved can be recognised and for the film to have longevity and a positive outcome for the deaf community.