Where do we go from here? There are many avenues that could be followed to effect meaningful change.
We must build capacity among Deaf actors, Deaf and hearing interpreters, and Deaf playwrights. This applies to all roles within the creative and management team. There is a strong desire to increase opportunities for Deaf actors and to increase the pool of well-trained actors in Canada with ASL fluency. We must increase training opportunities so there are more professional artists to choose from within Canada. Programs such as Crossing Gibraltar led by Deaf and hearing mentor teams are essential for ongoing professional development of Deaf actors who do not have access to the continuing education opportunities that are available for other, hearing, actors.
Professional development could be the product of collaborations between Deaf community cultural organizations such as the Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf with individual theatre companies and/or with University theatre training programs.
Workshops, artistic exchange programs, residencies and mentorships offered by theatre companies must welcome Deaf performing artists and provide for ASL interpretation, assistive listening devices and/or real time captioning as needed.
Workshops, artistic exchange programs, residencies and mentorships offered by theatre companies must welcome Deaf performing artists and provide for ASL interpretation, assistive listening devices and/or real time captioning as needed.
The question has also been raised, “How do we get more Deaf actors with strong ASL skills on stage? Must PACT members hire union actors? Can there be more leniency regarding union rules in order to open up more opportunities for Deaf actors who are not yet members of the union but who are engaged in Deaf theatre and wish to be involved in theatre on a professional level?”[1]
A collective creation approach with Deaf artists and creative team members is recommended with workshops that experiment with various techniques. (For example, a workshop could be developed to explore dynamic titling possibilities with motion trackers to see how that works – comparing manually moving titles close to the actors and then keeping them steady versus technology that moves it with the actors constantly)[2]. Collective experimentation with the projection designer, playwright and audience to see what works best and also to collectively discuss interpretations in titling with the Deaf playwright, can push our understanding of best practice forward.
The survey of interpreters across Canada revealed an interest in workshops with a focus on interpretation in a theatrical context being made available to interpreters in order to increase the skill level and capacity of interpreters available to support this work. Responses pointed clearly to interest in attending “interpreting in theatre contexts” workshops provided by the theatre community in collaboration with the Deaf community, on weekend days.
There is a desire to increase the ASL fluency of the artistic team – for theatre artists to increase their knowledge of ASL and Deaf culture so they are more skilled communicating in rehearsals, meetings and interacting with their Deaf colleagues – Deaf artists for future productions. As Canadian performers, many of us have basic French, or Spanish, or Mandarin, or Cree – why not basic ASL?
There is a great need to improve the professional student experience in University theatre programs. See video of Corinna Den Dekker
Theatre Arts Student, Fanshawe College, Interview April 28, 2016
Interview with Corinna Den Dekker, Theatre Arts Student, Fanshawe College.
A strong theme that has emerged[3] is the need for the theatre community and the Deaf community to collaborate for advocacy to create meaningful change in the theatre world. See “sustainability” section for discussion of collaborative advocacy for Deaf led theatre development and Deaf engagement in theatre.
[1] Field notes from post-performance feedback, May 20, 2016.
[2] Suggestion by Trevor Schwellnus, Set, Lighting & Surtitles Designer, Ultrasound, Interview June 6, 2016
[3] Field notes from Theatre Leaders Forum, October 19, 2015, Deaf community Leaders Forum, October 28, 2015, post-performance feedback and meetings 2015/2016.
